O Children
by needmorerocks
Summary: Three different stories begin to intertwine; Korra searches for her identity, hoping to learn about who she is and find a home. Mako and Bolin want to escape a life on the streets. Asami runs away from a haunted past. Stories come together and unravel as wars are fought, identities uncovered, and answers are found. An Anastasia inspired take on the Legend of Korra
1. Prologue: Tragedies

Prologue: Tragedies

**I do not own these characters! They belong to their creators! I'm just making stuff up. **

"So this is the girl we are looking for, is it not?" Two White Lotus sentries were huddled in a tiny igloo, a small light shining down upon a parchment with a series of names written upon it.

"Yes, I believe we've found her." The smaller of the two said, pointing at a single name and nodding. "She is said to be a very powerful bender."

"When are we going to begin her training if she actually is _the one_?"

"Immediately; we are making plans to go and formally name her tomorrow."

"So, what is the name of our new Avatar?"

"Korra. Her name is Korra." The smaller guard answered, smiling to himself. This little girl was going to have a full life ahead of her if the rumors proved themselves to be true.

Outside in the cold, two cloaked figures were listening in on the conversation between the sentries with extreme interest. Their black clothing contrasted with the white snow surrounding them, but they managed to avoid any wandering eyes due to darkness that accompanied the new moon.

"So what do we do?" the first man said, his hand pulling back a pair of green goggles that revealed a pair of icy blue eyes. His partner was quiet, recalling an earlier meeting that had set things in motion.

_~~A rotting tree stood at the outer edges of a swamp, its spindly branches breaking through the feeble beams of sunlight that flashed upon the murky water. A hooded man slowly made his way to the opening in the enormous trunk, pausing briefly before entering. Inside was a winding staircase, spiraling down into the darker depths of the tree. He made his way down, his face still hidden by his cloak. _

_A scuttling sound soon began to echo in the chamber. The man took a deep breath before proceeding. Behind him, a leathery creature inched forward, waiting to make an appearance. _

"_Hello, Koh." The man said, his voice betraying no emotion. _

"_I see you are growing familiar with my usual methods of introduction." A detached voice answered back. The scuttling noise grew louder. Slowly, the creature emerged in front of the man. Its body resembled that of a centipede, although its face, which resembled a mask, betrayed the fact that this creature was a spirit._

"_I need your help." The man said. Koh smiled, swiftly changing his face to that of a man with green eyes and pale skin. _

"_What is it?"_

"_The benders continue their tyrannical rule. They abuse their power and bully the non-benders. They are becoming corrupted. I need to purify them. But I need help." The figure said again. Slowly, he raised his head so that his hood fell back, revealing a mask that was nearly identical to Koh's. Once again, the spirits face changed into that of a woman with long flowing hair and deep blue eyes. The face gave a wicked grin. _

"_I have a plan."~~~_

"Amon, what's the plan?" The blue-eyed man asked again, grabbing two metal rods from his back and twirling them in his hands as he waited for an answer.

"We need to take the Avatar." His partner smiled.

"I'll take car of the guards." He said, giving his sticks another twirl before slipping into the hut.

Had anyone been walking by, they would have not noticed any signs of distress from the small hut, save for a burst of light that briefly shone from the window, and a muffled thump that marked the sentries collapse. As quickly as they arrived, the cloaked figures departed the hut, backing away into the icy tundra until the blackness of the night swallowed them whole. The falling snow filled in their footprints, making it seem as if they hadn't ever truly existed in the first place.

**XXXXXxxxxXXXXX**

"Tonraq, please be careful with her." Senna said, as she attempted to fill in the hole in their hut with ice. "She's going to take this place down, and you are going to help her."

"I can build us a new house; a bigger one! Korra is going to need the space. Look at her go!" Tonraq said, his broad shoulders shaking with laughter. Senna smiled at her husband.

"Momma, look at this!" Korra shouted. With a graceful wave of her arms, she commanded a wave of water around her on the floor, and then quickly froze it. She giggled, and then proceeded to make faces through the ice at her parents, loving how the layers distorted her image.

"That's wonderful, sweetie." Senna said. Korra definitely had inherited her parent's aptitude for bending, and they loved watching her practice, despite what it did to their hut. Tonraq smiled proudly.

"That's my girl! Tonraq yelled, punching the air with glee. She giggled before melting the ice and bending it into a series of ribbons, watching as it caught the light.

"So does this mean that I'm the Avatar?" Korra asked.

"Maybe. We don't know much yet. We'll find out very soon." Senna promised, giving her daughter a quick pat on the head. "But regardless, even the Avatar needs sleep, and I'm afraid that it is time for bed." Korra pouted.

"I'm not tired. Avatars go to bed whenever they want!" Tonraq laughed at his daughter.

"The sooner you go to sleep, the faster tomorrow will come. And I've got a feeling something pretty great is going to happen tomorrow." Senna told her daughter. Korra pondered her mother for a moment before nodding.

"I guess I could use some rest." She said. Tonraq winked at his wife, impressed with her tactics. Korra let the water drop, waiting for a moment to watch it splash before giving her parents a hug.

"Goodnight! The Avatar is going to bed." Korra announced, strutting back to her room. Her parents laughed together before deciding it was time for them to get to sleep as well. As they made their way back to their room, Tonraq bent water onto the flames, extinguishing the light from the hut.

**XXXXXxxxxXXXXXX**

The two men waited outside Korra's hut, watching as the lights inside went out.

"We move now."

Slowly, they opened the door to the hut. The lights inside were out, and the candlewicks still let off a small amount of smoke. The furniture was strewn about as if it was constantly moved; decorations were loosely hanging off the wall or were simply left on the floor, as it had been knocked off the wall far too many times. This was definitely the home of a young bender.

The men crept across the threshold towards the first door they saw. Slowly, they pulled it open and entered the room, their faint breathing the only sound that accompanied them. The masked man peered around the room they entered, his eyes stopping on the sleeping girl sprawled out on her bed. Her wolf tails were in complete states of disarray, and she was tangled up in her blankets, constantly moving in her sleep.

Amon slowly made his way towards her, thinking of his plan, when suddenly she bolted up, twirling herself out of her blankets. She landed on the floor, her arms spread out and hands bunched into fists.

"Who are you and why are you in my room!" Korra yelled. Her blue eyes shone with anger in the dark. She knew these men were not here peacefully. The masked man advanced on her, his hands balled into large fists. His partner twirled his metal rods menacingly. She didn't do so much as bat an eye.

"Korra! What's going on?" Tonraq and Senna burst into the room, still slightly groggy and completely unaware of what they were walking into. Tonraq took a few seconds to gather his wits, looking at the figures and his daughter.

"Korra, run!" Senna yelled, as she launched an orb of ice at the intruders. The masked man easily dodged the attack, but his partner caught a piece on his shoulder, and he staggered backwards. Tonraq followed his wife's attack with a water whip, attempting to wrap the water around the men's legs and yank them forward. They jumped up and dodged the attack, displaying an agility that unnerved the benders.

Korra watched in confusion before deciding to join in the attack, waving her arms around her. Water pooled at her feet and wrapped around her legs, building up to form shapes that resembled octopus arms. The girl waved her hands, sending the legs forward into the attackers. The goggled man was hit square in the chest and was thrown backwards into the wall. His partner managed to avoid it, though narrowly. Quickly, he made his way to Korra and delivered a series of punches to her arm.

"Ah!" Korra yelled, as her arm fell limp at her side. She attempted to continue bending with her remaining arm, but the masked man was too quick. He poked her sides and neck, and Korra felt a jolt as her arms went heavy. Her muscles refused to cooperate, and her vision blurred.

Her water pooled around the floor as her parents rushed forward, attempting to reach their daughter. The masked man stood up, and faced them, poised to attack. Tonraq growled.

"DON'T YOU DARE HURT OUR DAUGHTER!" He roared. Senna bared her teeth like an angry polar bear dog. They pulled the water around them, raising it into a long whip that wrapped around their bodies. Senna jumped one way as Tonraq attacked straight on. Senna swiped at the intruder's feet and Tonraq wrapped his water around the man's chest.

"We've got him!" Senna yelled, sparing a glance towards their daughter. Korra was unconscious on the floor. Senna blanched and caught her husband's eye. This was bad.

They began to freeze the water when the goggled man raised himself from the floor. He nodded at his partner before slamming one of his metal sticks into the floor. The masked men gave a quick chortle before spinning out of his holds and onto the bed. Senna and Tonraq had a split second before they were zapped with an electrical shock. There was an abrupt thud as they hit the floor. Senna fought to stay awake as she watched the men pick up Korra and walk over her and her husband. Senna's eyes watered as she lost consciousness.

**XXXXXxxxxXXXXX**

Korra's vision was blurry when she woke up. Her balance was off, and there was a metallic taste in her mouth that might have been blood. She tried to move, but her arms and legs still felt heavy. Something was very wrong. She groggily lifted her head to gauge her surroundings; she was outside on what looked to be the deck of a boat. Rain was falling on her, and she was chilled to the bone. Dark figures surrounded her. _This isn't okay._

"Avatar Korra, I would like to formally introduce myself." A deep voice rose from behind her, and someone grabbed her hair, pulling her head back. "I am a man that wants things to be even, to be fair, to be _equal. _You, as a bender, disrupt this balance that I want. As the Avatar, you cause a much bigger problem for me; you are a symbol that benders cherish. You are something that the can look up to. You set an example, and you show how strong and powerful benders can be." Korra tried to focus. She felt the man place a finger to her forehead.

"Well, Avatar, I have found a way to put an end to that problem. Someone told me that the Avatar Cycle can, in fact, be broken. They taught me how make people equal, to make things fair, to make sure that people cannot be corrupted by power. And I can do this by taking away people's bending. Young Avatar, I can take away your bending; I can make you like the rest of us.

"But, then you have the spiritual connection; you can still be the Avatar, even without your bending, because you possess a connection to the Spirit World and the power of the past Avatar's. That power still makes you special. But when you break that connection, you truly break the Avatar Cycle. And that is when I truly make you equal." He finished. Korra hear the things he was saying, but they didn't make sense to her; they couldn't be real. They couldn't.

"Who are you?" Korra asked, her head still pulled back. She willed her limbs to work.

"My name, Avatar, is Amon. And I am the man who took your bending." With that, Amon pressed his finger into Korra's forehead. She felt a surge of energy rush from her limbs towards the center of chest. Her heart beat faster, and she felt like she was about to explode. Then nothing. Korra felt lightheaded again. Her spine refused to support her weight. She would have fallen forward except Amon refused to let her go. His cold skin grasped her neck, and he laughed.

"Your bending is gone. And now, for your spiritual connection." Amon said. He pressed his fingers into her temples now. Korra closed her eyes. _No. _

Before any pressure could be applied, a crack of lightning ripped through the sky, illuminating the turbulent sea. A wave crashed into the side of the boat, knocking people off their feet. Korra rolled away from Amon as he lost his grip on her head. Amon crashed onto the deck, his mask cracking on the cheek. Korra's eyes connected with Amon's. The two had only a moment more before another wave smashed into the boat, this time spilling over onto the deck. Amon and Korra were thrown against the railing and over the boat. As she was tossed over, Korra's head smacked against the metal, leaving her nearly unconsciousness as she spilled into the ocean.

"Amon!" The goggled man from the South Pole rushed forward, looking for his leader in the water. He didn't have to look far; a gloved hand still clutched onto the railing of the boat, hanging over the side. Amon, completely soaked, threw himself back onto the deck, breathing heavily.

"Where is the girl?" He asked. His followers looked around, unsure.

"I think–– I think she fell over." Amon rushed back to the side of the boat, looking into the turbulent water. Korra wasn't there.

New cracks decorated Amon's mask. It was starting to break. _I broke the spiritual connection. I got her. _He was sure. He ended the cycle. He did it just before the wave crashed into the boat. He did. He knew it. Maybe.

"The Avatar is no more."

**XXXXXxxxxXXXXX**

"Korra."

There was water everywhere, filling her lungs. She was surrounded. She was sinking. Her eyes wouldn't open. Where was she? How did she get here? Her head hurt.

"Korra."

There was a flash of white. Someone was there, underwater, dragging her up. Where was she? Who was she?

"Breathe." Her head broke the surface of the water. A voice, a kind voice, was telling her to breathe. Why was that voice familiar? There was a flash of red and yellow. There was a blue arrow.

"Korra, you hit your head really hard. I'm sorry, but this is going to be a difficult journey for you. I can't do much to help you, but this should ease the transition, at least for now."

Warm hands toughed her forehead, applying a faint amount of pressure. Every nerve ending in her body sprang to life; energy seemed to reverberate from her chest to her fingers and toes. _She was alive. _But she couldn't remember a single thing. She had no idea who she was, where she was from, or how she ended up stranded in the middle of the ocean.

"I'll be here if you need me." That voice; that familiar, wonderful voice. Where was it coming from? Korra opened her eyes, but nobody was there. She was treading water, her arms and legs weak for some unknown reason. She had to get to land.

_Waterbend._ The thought popped into her head. Could she waterbend? She continued to tread water. Through the calming storm, there were lights in the distance; a city. She had to swim.

_Waterbend. _Korra shook her head. She took a deep breath, and began to move her arms. Power coursed through her limbs, and the water began to churn. Her instincts took over; water swirled around her, pushing her up and out of the ocean, propelling her into the sky in a swirling tower.

"I can waterbend!" Korra shouted. She had no idea how it worked, but she could do it. That was good. She focused on the city lights, leaned forward, and let her muscles take over. The young girl shot forward, skimming across the surface of the water like a flying fish, her hair blown back against the wind. She tried not to think about how lost she really was. Her head throbbed uncomfortably.

Half an hour later, a small girl, dressed in soaking wet water tribe clothes, crawled her way onto a beach on the outskirts of Republic City. She was exhausted and could barely move. She collapsed onto the sand, unable to support her own weight. Luckily, a woman passing by noticed the girl, and rushed forward, wanting to help.

"Sweetie, what happened? Why were you out in the water?" She asked anxiously, pulling Korra's head onto her lap. Korra's eyelids were heavy.

"I… I don't know. I woke up, and I was out there. I don't remember… I don't know." She was too exhausted to panic. She just felt numb.

"It's okay. It's all right. What's your name? Can you tell me your name?"

"I… I…"

_Korra. _Her eyes flew open.

"Korra. My name is Korra."

**XXXXxxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXXxxxxXXXX**

"Mom, I can't see!" A young boy laughed, as his mother wrapped a red scarf around his head, smiling down at her son. Her husband stood beside her, laughing.

"Momma, look! Pabu and I are racing!" A younger boy said, his green eyes sparkling misceviously as he chased after the fire ferret. His brother grinned, untangling himself from his father's scarf.

"Dad, can I wear this?" He asked.

"Sure thing, Mako. It looks good on you." His father said, ruffling the boys hair. Mako proudly wrapped the scarf around his neck. His mother smiled, watching as the boy tried to stand like his father, mimicking his movements.

"Mom, can I run ahead to the park?" Mako's younger brother, Bolin asked, hugging his pet fire ferret to his chest. "I promise I'll be careful." He said, with all the sincerity a six year old could muster.

"Sure, but be careful. We'll be there in a few minutes." She answered kindly. Bolin spared her a toothy smile before darting forward down the street. Mako watched his brother go, his hands still grasping the scarf tightly.

There was a loud crash from behind them. Mako and his parents turned, startled by the noise, to see a man dart forward out of a shop. The windows had exploded and smoke was pouring out of the building. A second man followed him, though he was much older. He coughed through the smoke and pointed at the fleeing man.

"Get him! He's a thief!" He managed to get out before succumbing to another coughing fit. Mako's father began to run after the man, quickly catching him and lunging for his feet. Together the men crashed into the pavement. Mako and his mother watched, unsure of what to do. The man turned on the ground and delivered a swift kick to Mako's father's abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. His mother rushed forward to her husband, but was immediately blocked by the thief. He glared at her, raising his hand and flexing his fingers. Flames appeared, dancing over his upturned palm. He advanced on her and Mako.

"This is what you will get for not staying out of my way." He said. The flame grew larger. Mako's mother glared and took a defensive stance, She grabbed a stone from against the wall and threw it at the man's head, narrowly missing it. Mako watched, fear beginning to take over his instincts. He couldn't think, only watch.

The firebender was almost upon his mother when Mako's father lunged forward and delivered a kick to the man's feet, knocking him back onto the ground. His wife rushed forward as well, but was stopped when a sudden burst of flame erupted from the man's feet. He gave a twirl and spun away from the attacking couple, looking angrier and angrier with each movement.

"Enough! You need to learn that you shouldn't get in the way of benders!" He shouted. His gaze fell to rest on Mako. He raised hand again and made a swift motion with his arm. A ball of flame shot its way out of his hand, racing towards the boy. Mako was frozen to the spot, his hands tightly gripping his father's scarf.

"No!" Mako's father sprinted forward, throwing himself in front of his son. He gave a cry before falling to the ground. Mako heard his mother's sharp intake of breath as she rushed forward, kneeling next to her husband. Her face paled.

"Move." The firebender said, glaring at her. She stared back.

"No."

Without another word, a second jet of flame was shot at the family. Mako felt his mother push him out of the way before falling backwards. His arm hit the concrete hard. He cried out.

Both of his parents were on the ground. They weren't moving. Mako was shaking.

"Mom? Dad?" He pushed himself up. The firebender laughed at the boy before sending one last flame in his direction. Mako put his hands up to cover his face, and he felt his palms burning. He ignored the pain, waiting. Nothing else happened. He didn't catch fire. In fact, the flames disappeared as soon as they made contact with his hands.

Mako slowly opened his eyes. The firebender looked at him with a mixture of confusion and humor. He cracked a crooked smile that did nothing to warm his eyes.

"I'll bet that was the first time you've ever firebent before. Ironic, isn't it, that this was when it had to happen." He laughed at the boy before turning and running down an aisle, using a burst of flame to propel himself up and over a wall.

Mako was shaking. He turned and vomited. He couldn't look at his parents. He knew why they weren't moving. His mind was numb. He didn't know how long he stayed on the ground.

"M-Mako? What happened to Mom and Dad?" A small voice said. Mako turned and saw his baby brother on the sidewalk, his eyes wide and frightened.

"Bolin… there was a man, a firebender, he…. He…" Mako couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't want to think. Bolin made a move to go forward, but Mako stopped him. The flesh on his palms burned, and he had to keep from crying out. Bolin noticed.

"Bolin."

The younger brother collapsed, his shoulders shaking as he began to cry. It was then that Mako's brain turned back on. He took a deep breath before standing, going to his brother and giving him a hug.

"I'll take care of us. I promise."

****

The Sato's lived in a small house in a tiny neighborhood, but Asami loved it all the same. Her friends were a windowsill away, and she loved jumping and twirling over the rooftops, staying up with her friends and watching the sun rise and set. Sometimes, when her father wasn't working on his inventions, her parents would take her to a park where they would play with the turtle ducks. Asami loved these moments.

This was why she initially hated the success her father found as an inventor, going on to establish Future Industries in Republic City. Her mother was proud and happy, but she noticed that the change the family went through wasn't exactly what her daughter wanted, which was precisely why she would act like things hadn't really changed; the child and her mother would still go the park –– though now they attracted more attention –– and she would still sit on the roof with Asami and watch the sun rise, even when the roof was on a mansion rather than a run down house. Asami loved her mother for that.

"Mom, I'm going to be on the roof for a bit." Asami said as she bounded up the stairs one night. Her mother gave a smile and waved, showing that she approved.

"I may see you up there later." She said. Asami smiled back.

Getting onto the roof was a bit tricky, though Asami never had any true difficulty with it. Even at nine, the girl had excellent reflexes, and she enjoyed climbing a great deal. She had perfected the art of leaping from terrace to terrace, hooking her arms around the flagpoles, and throwing herself onto the roof. Her father balked at her ability, and feared for her safety, as did her mother, but they were confident that their daughter could take care of herself.

Asami landed lightly on the roof, settling against the shingles as she watched the city before her. The one thing Asami truly loved about the new house was the new view that it offered. The moon shone down on Yue Bay, the water rippling enough to cause a bit of a distortion in the reflection. The buildings twinkled as lights went on and off; people were always coming and going in Republic City. Asami lay down, letting herself drift off while imagining her next trip to the park.

It was late when she woke up, which itself was strange; her mother always came and got her when it got too late. Always. Asami stretched before flipping off the roof and onto her balcony. She wanted to see if everything was okay.

The house was eerily quiet. Asami knew that her father was out of town on business, but her mother usually had music playing. It made the large house feel less empty. Now there was nothing. _Maybe she fell asleep. _

Asami continued to roam the halls, looking in the kitchen, the living room, dining room, her parent's bedroom, even the pool. Nothing. Asami started to get worried. She was going to go check outside when she smelled it: smoke. Something was burning.

Following the smell, Asami raced upstairs, finding herself going to her father's study. The hallway was hazy from the smoke that slowly wafted out of the office. Asami pulled her shirt up to cover her nose before advancing. Something was definitely wrong.

Asami's eyes were watering as she entered her father's study. The smoke stung. Glancing around, she knew that her fears were not unfounded. Someone had been here, and they had destroyed a significant amount of her father's things. Scorch marks lined the wall, and her father's papers and books lay scattered about the room, some burnt nearly to a crisp. A firebender. Asami's heart was beating hard against her ribs.

It was when she circled her father's desk that Asami saw it: something large on the ground. The smoke was making it more difficult to see. Asami coughed. She stepped forward, and felt a sharp pain in her foot. She glanced down. _It's a teacup. I stepped on a teacup. _That's when Asami's heart fell through her stomach. She realized what the large object was.

"Mom…" Asami rushed forward. She saw the burn marks on her mother's jacket but didn't understand. She saw that her mother wasn't moving but it didn't make sense to her. Her brain wasn't working.

"Mom, wake up. Mom. Mom!" She shouted, shaking her. Nothing.

"Mom! Mom!" She cried, yelling over and over again. There were sirens outside. Smoke was spilling out the window. People saw it. Help was coming.

Asami didn't stop screaming.

**Author's Note: **Hello! I am still figuring out the whole 'writing and posting' thing, which is why I am resubmitting the first chapter because the page breaks were all screwy and everything seemed to run together. Anyway, I've kinda got this story figured out, so hopefully I can get to publish on a consistent basis. But I hope you like it! Reviews would be appreciated. I enjoy constructive criticism.

Seriously.


	2. Chapter 1: Meetings

**A/N: I don't own any of these characters. Duh.**

Chapter 1: Meetings

"Korra… Korra… WAKE UP!" begrudgingly, Korra opened one eye and glared at the woman who was working so hard to wake her up.

"How about no." Korra answered before turning over so that her brown hair greeted the intrusion rather than her face.

"Korra, we've got work. Come on, lazy bones." Korra growled.

"No, Kida. The morning is evil. I want another night shift."

"Can't do that. The patrols are becoming more common during the night shifts. You know that. Come on." Kida shook Korra a bit more vigorously. Since she had discovered Korra on the beach eleven years ago, Kida had become attached to the girl, viewing her as a sister rather than as a lost child that she took in. She had tried to locate the girl's parents, but Korra had no idea where she came from. That made the process near impossible. When nobody claimed Korra, Kida assumed she was orphaned and offered to care for her. They had grown closer over the years, and Kida was glad for it.

"UGH." Korra groaned, before throwing the blankets off her body and rolling out of bed. Slowly, she made her way to the bathroom. Kida gave her friend a smirk.

The girls worked at the hospital during the week, though their employers knew nothing of their ability to bend. If they did, their employment could prove incredibly problematic, as the equalist movement had grown to affect the type of jobs that benders could have; healers still worked at hospitals, but there they became easy targets for one of Amon's raids. Benders now preferred to live in the shadows, on the fringes of society. They might not have had easy lives, but their bending remained intact. Korra and Kida, though fearful for their bending, decided that people still needed help. Both were skilled waterbenders and healers; Master Katara herself had trained Kida. Kida then trained Korra.

She thought back to that fateful day that Kida discovered Korra stranded on the beach. The young girl was hurt, there was no doubt about it, but no amount of healing by Kida could bring her memory back. After a while, Kida assumed the memory was just too traumatic for Korra to ever want to relieve, so she stopped her efforts. She watched as Korra grew from a confused eight-year-old to a beautiful and powerful, though extremely reckless nineteen year old. The patients at the hospital felt that they were in competent hands whenever Korra healed them, and they couldn't have been more right; although Kida found Korra when she was only eight, Korra was still a powerful bender. Her moves were traditional in nature, and everything about her bending was natural. She was a true prodigy, even taking on healing by the age of nine. Kida had a feeling this girl was special. She was too strong not to be.

"Ready?" Korra asks, coming out of the bathroom. Her chocolate hair is pulled back in its usual wolf tail, and her blue uniform is hangs comfortably around her mocha skin. Kida nods, grabbing an apple before heading out the door.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"Korra, Kida, we've got a burn victim on the second floor, third room. At the end of the hall we also have a kid with some broken bones in his feet. I'd say he was an earthbender that got a little too much practice if I knew it wouldn't get him in trouble, so I'll just say that a pile of rocks fell on his feet." Nalla, the head healer, told her workers. Korra and Kida nodded before making their way to the lift. Kida pulled out her satchel filled with water.

"You want the burn victim or the kid with the broken feet?" Korra asked, stretching her arms lazily.

"I'll take the bones. I'm not as good as you are with burns." She answered. Korra nodded. When the lift hit the third level, they hopped off, heading opposite ways down the hall.

"Alrighty. Let's see what we've got here." Korra said, smiling kindly at her patient. The man on the bed looked glumly at her, his arm bandaged up. Korra gently began to unroll the gauze, unsure of the extent of the burn.

It turns out it was worse than she thought; not only did the damaged skin wrap all the way around the arm, but it extended from his wrist to his shoulder. Whoever hurt this guy did a good job of it. Korra's stomach knotted. Her mouth thinned.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." She said. Her patient refused to meet her gaze.

"It's bad, isn't it?" He asked. He was maybe thirty, with sandy brown hair and big brown eyes that made him look like a child.

"It is, but you know what? I can fix it." Korra said. She gave the man's hand a gentle squeeze before beginning her waterbending. Slowly, she rocked her hands back and fourth, drawing the water out of its container on her side. The cool liquid began to wrap its way around the man's hand. He watched with avid fascination. Beginning at his wrist, the water began to glow. His lips gave a twitch.

"It tickles a bit, doesn't it?" Korra asked, smiling. "So what's your name?"

"Lee." He answered back, still staring at his arm and the glowing water. "What's yours?"

"I'm Korra."

"Where did you learn to bend?" He asked, finally looking away from his arm.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth. It's always been second nature to me. My friend Kida helped me perfect it. She was the one who taught me healing." Korra said proudly. Lee smiled.

"So were your parents benders?" Korra looked away from Lee; her movements slowed ever so slightly. _I don't know._

"So how did you get hurt?" She asked, avoiding his question. He looked sheepish.

"I picked a fight with the wrong person."

"That person didn't happen to be a firebender, did he?"

"No, but his friend was." Lee said. Korra cracked a small smile at the patient. The water's light began to dim, and slowly slipped down Lee's arm. His bare shoulder first appeared; the skin was no longer red and raw, but pink and new. As more and more of his arm became exposed, Lee grew happier and happier.

"It's better! You fixed it! Korra, that's amazing!" He said, holding his arm up for further inspection. "Thank you so much, Korra!" He said again. She smiled back.

"It's not a problem. I'm here to help." Though Korra was smiling, as soon as she answered the young man, sadness began to creep back into her heart. It always happened after helping her patients; there was a part of Korra that yearned to do more. She could help more people, she knew it, she just didn't know how.

"I'm lucky you're a waterbender! Not many of them left, are there?" Lee asked. Korra was taken aback by his question. She shrugged.

"My friends think it's a miracle I'm a water girl. They say my personality is more suited to fire." She said. Lee laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you're not." He raised his hand. Korra smiled and gave him a wave before leaving his room. She helped. It was small, but it was good.

Korra began walking towards Kida's room when she heard it; shouting coming from downstairs. She stopped, looking towards the lift; it had started to move. Sparks came up from the shaft. Muffled voices echoed off the walls.

_It's a raid._

Korra sprinted the remaining distance to Kida's room, throwing open the door and locking it behind her.

"Korra?" Kida asked. She didn't need to say anything else; Korra's expression told her everything. The patient in the bed looked between the two girls, clearly confused.

"It's a raid. We need to hide." Kida said. She grabbed Korra's arm began to stack tables in front of the door, barricading themselves inside.

"What's going on?" The small boy asked, his tone nervous.

"You don't need to worry about anything. They don't check patients." Kida said, patting his hand. He didn't look any calmer.

"Korra, you need to climb onto the roof. You'll have to climb out the window." Korra nodded.

"Let's go."

"I'm not going. If they catch me, they won't go looking for you. They don't know how many healers are working here. They never do."

"Kida, don't be stupid. I'm not leaving you." Korra said, crossing her arms.

"Yes, you are. Don' fight me on this Korra. You are leaving. You are stronger than I am. You can do more to help. And we both know that's what you want." Kida's voice was fierce and strong.

"Kida…" There was a banging on the door. The outlines of the equalists were evident through the windows. Korra could her something electrical charge up.

"Listen. Stop arguing and listen. You need to go to the mountains; that's where most of the benders are hiding. I don't know if there is a camp, but you can help. I know you can." Kida pulled open the window as she talked to Korra. Korra didn't move.

"Listen; I've known this was going to have to happen for a while. It was only a matter of time. We can't evade them forever."

"Kida, you are giving up!" Korra said, desperation seeping into her voice.

"I'm not. I know you will help me. I know it. But to do that, you have to go." The door began to shake. "You need to go now, Korra. Now!"

Korra's eyes began to water. She was loosing the one true connection she had in Republic City. Kida's face was emotionless. Korra turned to go before she was pulled in for one last hug.

"Bye, sis." Kida said. A single tear rolled down Korra's cheek before she turned towards the window, climbing out on the scaffolding and up towards the roof.

"Now, don't say anything, okay? They won't ask you about me." Kida turned to her patient. He looked grim, but nodded. "Just pretend to be asleep." He did as he was told.

The door was thrown open, startling Kida. In the doorframe stood a tall man, his green goggles glinting in the light of his electrified sticks. Three other people, dressed in a similar uniform, flanked his sides. They rushed into the room and surrounded Kida. She spun a whip of water around her, prepared to attack.

"It's no use." The goggled man said before swiping one of his sticks at Kida's side and letting the electricity race through her body.

Korra watched from outside as they dragged her friend's limp body outside. Her heart was thumping against her ribcage, and anger welled up inside of her, threatening to explode. She hated the equalists; she hated what they stood for. Equalizing people didn't make things any better. Korra's hands began to shake. She couldn't focus.

_Korra. Calm down. Not yet. _

The voice echoed inside her head. She looked around, assuming someone else was on the roof with here, but she was alone.

_Calm down. _

Korra tried to steady her breathing, but it was no use. So she decided to burn off some of her anger in her escape. She leapt from rooftop to rooftop, her agile body landing lightly on the metal surfaces. When she felt that she was far enough away from the hospital, Korra left her uniform in a trashcan and returned to street level. Citizens bustled about, unaware of what Korra had just experienced.

She was still fuming and shaking. She passed by a group of homeless people, huddled around a fire. She didn't notice how high the flames grew when she passed it.

**XXXXXxxxxxXXXXX**

"Excuse me, how much are these?" A teen dressed in faded green clothes asked a street vendor, pointing at the loaves of bread on his cart. The man ignored him. The teen pursed his lips.

"Hey, sorry. I was wondering how much your bread was?" He said, louder, stepping closer. The vendor still ignored him. The boy was getting annoyed. He stomped his foot. A few pebbles jumped from the impact. The vendor looked up.

"No."

"Pardon?" The teen asked, confused.

"I can't sell you bread." The man explained. His eyes looked apologetic.

"Why not? I need food…"

"Listen, you're Bolin, right? You were a pro bender, yeah?" The vendor said. Bolin nodded patiently. "I can't sell to benders. I'm sorry. I can't. If the equalists find out, I'll be charged with enabling you or something. They'll come and get me. I'm sorry." The vendor said. Bolin looked down and nodded solemnly.

"I understand." He gave a half-hearted smile to the man before departing, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He was lucky, he supposed; had it been another person, they could have screamed for the equalists, ready to turn him in. He was just tired of being hungry.

"Hey, bro. Did you get the food?" His brother asked as Bolin rounded a corner. Mako was waiting, leaning against the building wall, toying with the ends of the frayed red scarf that he had wrapped around his neck. He didn't need his brother to voice his answer after seeing his empty arms. He nodded, understanding.

"The guy recognized me. He wouldn't sell anything." Bolin said. His stomach gurgled. Mako noticed.

"We'll try something else. Maybe we can sneak into the back of a restaurant and grab some stuff. I'm sure we've still got some bender friendly places around. We'll find something. I promise." Mako said. Bolin nodded, knowing that Mako would follow through in his promise. He always did.

The brothers turned and started off in the opposite direction, away from the crowded marked street. Had they been paying closer attention, they would have noticed the man following them, his face obscured by a hood. His only defining features were the green goggles that were draped around his neck.

"Do you know where we are sleeping tonight? Are we going to try the hostel again?" Bolin asked his brother. His back was still a bit sore from sleeping outside on the ground the previous night. He had been able to fashion a pair of crude beds using his earthbending, but it was still uncomfortable.

"I don't know. The hostel was full. I checked while you were looking for food." Mako said. He felt bad. He knew he needed to do a better job; he needed to work harder. The man that was following them got closer.

"Let's check down here." Mako said, pointing at an alley. The only door in the wall led to a restaurant that Bolin and Mako had visited before; he hoped they would be willing to spare a bit of food for the starving brothers. The man watched them, a wicked smile made its way onto his face.

**XXXxxxXXX**

Korra was still angry, but walking did help to calm her down. She decided to head to her apartment to gather her winter clothes before she left for the apartment. She pushed her clenched fists into her pockets, as she walked, passing through an outside market. The small of fresh bread wafted under her nose, and the colors of the ripe fruit caught her eye. Her senses seemed to be on fire; everything stood out to her; the breeze against her skin, the way the pebbles crunched underneath her feet. Her heart continued to bang against her ribcage, but she was breathing easier.

She turned down a side street, her apartment in sight, when she heard the shouting. Three distinct voices crashed together. Korra spun on her heel and peered down the nearest alleyway, looking to investigate. A man, an equalist, was advancing on two men at the end of the alley. The equalist's green goggles caught Korra's attention almost immediately; fire roared in her chest as she thought of Kida. _Time to go help._ Korra sprinted down the alley towards the men, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

**XXXxxxXXX**

"Mako, look out!" Bolin shouted. The equalist advanced on the brothers, pulling out two

kali sticks and sprinting towards the brothers. Mako spun, his hand balled into a fist as a ball of fire flew from his gloved hand towards the attacker. Bolin gave a stomp of his foot, and the ground beneath the equalist shifted. He was able to dodge both attacks, flipping through the air with extreme agility.

Bolin charged forward, punching the air with both hands. His movements sent a flurry of rocks up and out of the ground, shooting towards the attacker.

"Why. Won't. You. Leave. Us. Alone!" Bolin shouted after each punch. Mako watched, waiting for Bolin's attack to cease before sending another wave of flame down the alley. One of the stones caught the equalist in the shoulder, but he continued, undeterred. When Mako's fire reached him, he pushed himself off the ground and against the wall, avoiding it. He rushed forward, reaching Bolin. The younger brother tried to put up a wall between him and the equalist, but he was too late. A kali stick struck him in the chest, and electricity coursed through the teen's body. He yelled, before falling to his knees. Mako paled.

"No!" He yelled. His heart was beating hard, his mind bringing up an image of a young boy next to his fallen parents. His focus wavered, and the flame that shot from his hand was large and uncontrolled. The equalist spun around the fire and towards Mako. His kali stick was mere inches away from Mako's chest when a string of water wrapped its way around the attacker's abdomen. His eyes darted to Mako's, clearly confused, before he was knocked off his feet.

"You need to learn not to mess with people who are stronger than you." A woman's voice said from the opposite side of the alley. She was around Mako's age, probably eighteen or nineteen, her dark brown hair pulled back into a wolf tail, with two sections still hanging around the sides of her face. She was slender, and even from the distance Mako could tell that she was strong. Her mocha skin contrasted with the blue of her pants and shirt, which was cut in a way so that her arms were bare. She glared at the equalist, striding forward.

"Leave. Us. Alone." Korra said, water whipping around her. With each word, more water wrapped its way around the fallen man, freezing him to the ground. Bolin pushed himself back to a standing position, completely in awe of the girl that saved his brother.

"We have to move, now." Korra said, glancing at the brothers. They nodded, and followed her down the alley, leaving the equalist behind.

"Thanks for that! You were absolutely amazing back there!" Bolin said, running forward to Korra. She smiled at him, not slowing her pace. He had to jog to keep up with her. Mako followed them, unsure.

"It was no problem. I'm glad I could help." She turned to look at the brother. Bolin was the same height as Korra, but the teen had muscle; despite the intimidating physique, Bolin's green eyes were kind and unassuming, and his face was rounded. His black hair had a slight wave to it, and a strand hung down over his forehead. He smiled broadly at Korra.

"And the way you just took that guy out, it was like, _BOOM, you are going down_! It was awesome. Seriously. Thank you!" Bolin spoke with such enthusiasm that Korra found herself laughing. "She was amazing, wasn't she, Mako?" Bolin said, stopping and gesturing at Korra. She stopped walking, and turned to the older brother.

What Bolin had in stockiness, Mako more than made up for in height. The firebender, was about a foot taller than she, his black hair was messy, styled up and pointed. His golden eyes were cautious, focused. He was lean, but his arms showed that he had muscle. His face was much thinner than Bolin's, completely free of any baby fat, and much more angular. He was handsome, Korra noted, but he was also incredibly guarded and tense, unlike his brother.

"Yeah, uh, thanks. Bro, we should go." Korra gave him a look. Bolin rolled his eyes.

"Wow. Easy on the gratitude there, big guy." Korra said.

"I said thanks." Mako's eyes narrowed. Bolin looked between the two of them, feeling like he needed to step in before they began attacking each other.

"Uh, I'm Bolin, by the way. This knucklehead is my older brother, Mako. I'm an earthbender, and he's a firebender, in case you hadn't noticed." Bolin stuck his hand out. Korra looked away from his brother to give his hand a shake.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Bolin. I'm Korra."

"Nice to meet you, Korra."

"Listen, thanks for your help." Mako strode forward. He didn't offer his hand, which was buried deep in his pocket, but he managed a small smile at Korra. She gave him a quizzical look before giving him a small nod.

"So where are you off to at such a hurry?" Bolin asked, cocking his head.

"It's a long story."

"Bro, let her get on her way. We've caused her enough trouble." Mako said. Korra glanced at him.

"You haven't caused trouble. I'm grabbing some winter stuff. I'm heading into the mountains."

"Are you joining one of the bending camps? I've heard about those. The benders at the hostels talk about them." Bolin explained. His brother looked skeptical.

"Yeah. Well, that's where I'm headed. They may need help."

"Bolin, let's go. Let Korra go the mountains and do whatever she's planning on doing."

_Whatever I'm planning on doing?_ Korra got more annoyed at the firebender; Bolin was nice, he was appreciative. He didn't think it was ridiculous that she wanted to help. Mako's tone made it sound like she was some kind of crazed vigilante, looking to go around the city, kicking equalists to the curb. What did his opinion matter anyway? He was just another firebender who overestimated his abilities and thought he was greater than he really was.

"Mako, what if we went with her?" Bolin asked. "There is nothing here for us anymore. We don't have a home; we don't have anybody to take with us. We can fit all of out things into a couple of small rucksacks. We don't need to stay here anymore!" His voice was earnest, pleading. Korra watched him with Mako, and she suddenly felt a pang of sadness with for the brothers.

"Bolin… We can't." Mako answered, but his voice lacked conviction.

"Why not! We can go and live with benders! We could go and help them! We could help, Mako. Come on!" Bolin's eyes were wide with excitement. Korra looked at Mako expectantly.

"I don't know, Bolin." Mako said. There was definite uncertainty in his voice now.

"We could leave together tonight, if you wanted." The brothers looked at Korra then back to each other. Bolin smiled, punching Mako's arm.

"Come on, bro. What have we got to lose?"

_I could lose you._ Mako's sighed, finally giving a small nod. "Fine. Let's go. Is that cool with you, Korra?"

"If you guys want, then I'm totally fine with it." Korra said, giving Bolin a warm smile. She looked at Mako with a curious gaze, noting the sadness that permeated his face. He stared back, absently taking note of how pretty she was, and the beautiful blue shade of her eyes.

Instinctually, his hands went to the red scarf around his neck and he held onto it tightly.

**XXXXXxxxxxXXXXX**

The rafters were dusty, and in the dim light that seemed through the cracks, Asami could see the dust particles dance in the air. She was perched on a beam in the crawlspace above her father's study. The area was tiny, but it allowed her enough room to move back and fourth. On slow days, she would weave her way into the space, and just listen to her father. She would hear the scratch of his pen, or listen to his meetings. Years ago, she discovered that he would talk to her mother. He never got an answer –– they both knew it was impossible to receive one now––– but he talked to her: about Asami, about work. As the years wore on, his conversations with his deceased wife grew fewer and farther between. Asami noticed this. Her father changed. He wasn't the same man. But still, she would visit the crawlspace and wait to hear if he would try and talk to her mother one more time.

He didn't. He began to talk to new people; real people. People dressed in dark outfits. They wore green goggles, carried gloves that he designed so they could electrocute people. They wore masks. Her father worked with equalists. He had for a while. He designed their weapons for them; the gloves, the mega tanks, the kali sticks. He said he did it all because of what happened to his wife; he wanted revenge.

This upset Asami more than she had initially realized. She gradually grew more and more detached from her father; their relationship dwindled, weakened, until it was only a shadow of what it once was.

There was a knock at her father's door.

"Come in." Her father said. Asami heard footsteps.

"Mr. Sato."

"Amon." Asami's perked up. The leader of the revolution was in her father's study below her. Amon was a figure she preferred not to think about; his very presence set her on edge. Though she understood and even sympathized with the motives behind the equalist movement, she did not agree with their tactics. They hunted benders down and robbed them of a vital part of their identity. It was cruel.

"Mr. Sato, we have been talking about how generous you have been, accepting us into your home and providing a base for our revolution. Your inventions have given us the advantage over the benders that have repressed us for so long." Hearing his voice made Asami's stomach churn; his voice was deep, but it was also cruel. There was a terror in his tone that frightened her.

"You see, we truly are appreciative of everything you have done for us, but…"

"But?" Asami's father asked, confused.

"Some recent events have got us thinking about the future of your company. Our movement is becoming stronger every day; our place of power in this city is becoming permanent, and we are now looking to the future.

"Mr. Sato, in this future, I am concerned about Future Industries relationship with the equalist movement. You will not be around forever; we cannot risk your company falling into the wrong hands."

"Ah. I see. Well, this is actually a subject that I have pondered on my own." Hiroshi Sato answered, his voice cold and distant. Asami listened intently. "I was actually planning on handing the reigns of my company over to my daughter, Asami. She is a skilled leader, and a very bright girl. I know her loyalties lie with me. She could prove an asset to your movement." Asami's stomach dropped. _Since when have I been loyal to the equalist movement?_

"Yes. We assumed as much. We do see Asami being an asset to our party, yet she still has yet to prove her loyalties. Who's to say that she won't jump ship after you have passed on? Have you considered what would happen to the company once Asami gets married? She is a beautiful girl; you would have to admit that it is merely a question of time in this case."

"Well, regardless of who Asami marries, she would have control over the company. I am the one that decided where the power goes. It would always be her."

"That is what we assumed you would say. But the question still arises about her loyalty. We cannot risk her marrying someone who is sympathetic to the bender's cause." Amon said. Asami listened intently, feeling a growing sense of foreboding as the conversation continued.

"What are you proposing?"

"That's just it. I am proposing that Asami marry an equalist; someone close to the center, someone whose loyalties are unquestionable."

"Are you suggesting that I marry off my daughter for the sake of the company?" Mr. Sato asked. For a split second, Asami could swear she heard incredulousness in her father's voice, even anger. But it disappeared just as quickly as it arrived.

"I am."

"Well, I suppose if it is for the best interest of the many, then I agree with your proposal."

Asami's jaw dropped. Anger swelled in her chest, and she felt an incredible sense of betrayal. She wanted to cry out, to yell at her father, slam her fists into a wall. But she couldn't. So she decided on another course of action. She had heard people on the street mention a camp in the mountains; it was a place where benders had congregated to escape from the equalists. Amon didn't know about it, she knew that for a fact. It could be her escape. She could help.

She scuttled back through the rafters, not making a noise as she exited the crawlspace, landing quietly in the hall. She made a quick dash to the bathroom, where she grabbed a few toiletries and a bag before returning to her room. She pulled a pack out of her closet, along with winter coats and a change of clothes. She knew she couldn't bring much. She packed the essentials, throwing items in her bag. She wanted to escape as quickly as possible.

Quiet as a moth, she grabbed her pack, and made for the window, planning on scaling the side of the house where no one would see her. But before she left, she hesitated. A small picture of Asami and her mother was taped to her mirror. Asami was still a young girl, but she looked happier than she had been in years, wrapped in her mother's arms. Asami grabbed the photo and carefully tucked it in her pocket.

She hoisted herself out of her window, carefully climbing down to the grass below. The fading light made her escape easier, and she made it to the gate undetected. Before she turned the corner, Asami spared one last glance towards the mansion that had never truly been her home. She felt nothing for the grand building as it disappeared from her sight.

**A/N: Okay, so I'm still figuring out some of the characterizations and story. Some parts feel a bit rushed to me, others seem to be working well. If some people seem out of character, let me know. Constructive criticism is always appreciated, so read and review. I hope you enjoyed reading it! Thanks.**


	3. Chapter 2: Welcome

**A/N: I don't own anything here!**

Chapter 2: Welcome

The wind was biting against the trio's skin as they made their way into the mountains. Red and gold painted themselves across the sky from the sunset, and the fading light danced and sparked against the snow on the peaks. The trees rocked back and forth in the wind, and the pine needles shook, falling lightly to the ground. Bolin would have appreciated the scenery more had it not been for the bickering couple behind him; ever since they left Republic City, Mako and Korra had been at each other's throats over everything. Mako wanted to bring stuff to make camp; Korra believed it would slow them down. Korra believed they could hunt in the mountains; Mako wanted to bring food incase they couldn't find any. Bolin would simply watch their exchanges, amused by how easily Korra was able to rile his usually levelheaded brother.

"We should make camp soon. We shouldn't wander around after dark." Mako said, peering between the trees at Korra. She looked at him like he was nuts.

"Are you kidding? We need to keep moving. We are still too close to the city!"

"No way! We're about six miles from the very edge of the city. We're fine." Korra glared at him, and he glared right back. Bolin cracked a grin.

"How about we walk until it gets dark. Compromise!" Bolin shouted. Mako pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Korra nodded in agreement.

Bolin, pleased with himself, went to walk with Korra, curious about his new acquaintance. "So Korra, not that I think it's weird or anything that we are traveling into the wild together and know nothing about each other, but I feel like it's weird that we are traveling into the wild and we don't know anything about each other. So tell me about yourself!" Bolin said, making Korra laugh. As much of a stick in the mud his brother was, Korra genuinely enjoyed Bolin's company. The earthbender had a wicked sense of humor, and seemed to be happy and optimistic, which served to counteract his moody brother.

"Well, I worked as a healer at a hospital until this morning. There was a raid. The equalists would ambush the hospitals every now and again to take the waterbenders. My friend Kida and I decided to take an early shift to limit that possibility; but they attacked this morning while I was with a patient…" Korra' s face darkened. Bolin noticed. He was going to tell Korra that she didn't need to go on, but before he did she continued, "They attacked, and, um, they–– they took my friend, Kida. She stayed behind so I could leave."

"I'm so sorry, Korra." Bolin said, placing a hand on her shoulder in a way he hoped was comforting. Mako had caught up with them at this point and listened to her story. His eyes were downcast when Korra spared a glance his way.

"She took care of me when I was little. She was like an older sister." Korra said. Mako's eyes shifted from the ground to her face, thinking about her life, and how similar it may have been to Bolin's and his. He noticed that she didn't say anything about her parents; he didn't broach the subject, knowing that sometimes it was better not to ask.

Korra's face hardened, her blue eyes focusing on the path ahead. "But I'm going to find her and save her. She knows I can help. That's why she told me to go to the mountains. After learning about how the equalists take the bender's abilities, I've wanted to join the bending fight. I know I can help." Korra said. Bolin glanced at his brother.

"Well, you certainly helped us." The younger man said, giving Korra a nudge with his arm. She smiled.

"I'm glad I did. Even if your brother is a pain in my side."

"Hey now, it's not like you are a bed of roses yourself!" Mako said, but his tone was light. Korra gave a half smile and lightly punched his side.

"Well now you know a bit about me. Tell me about yourselves." Korra asked, adjusting the bag across her shoulders. The sun had fully set behind the mountains now, and the light grew steadily dimmer.

"Well, Mako and I used to be probenders." Bolin said causally. Korra stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the brothers, dumfounded.

"No. Way. No way. You guys aren't the same Mako and Bolin from the Fire Ferrets, are you?" Bolin laughed, nodding.

"Sure is!" Bolin said, smiling broadly. Korra looked dumfounded, her mouth dropping.

"How did I not put two and two together? Man oh man. I used to listen to you guys play on the radio! You were my favorite team! Sucks about them closing the arena…" Korra said as she started walking again.

"Yeah." Mako agreed. "But it became a hotspot for equalist attacks. They would grab players from practice or after matches. Even benders in the audience were at risk." Korra shook her head sadly.

"So should we make camp for tonight? Bolin asked as Mako fell silent. At this point, the sky was nearly dark, and he didn't want to wander in the mountains at night. He heard stories about travelers that got lost among the trails. The wind picked up as if to aid his argument that they should stop. Mako nodded in agreement, pulling his jacket closed to shield against the wind. Korra watched him with a bemused expression; the waterbender still hadn't donned a jacket. The cold didn't bother her.

"Fine. But I still say that we could make it a bit farther if we tried. The path is the same in the dark as it is during the day… Unless you boys are afraid." Korra teased, but as she spoke, she threw her pack off her shoulders and began to unload blankets and food.

"Ha. Whatever is in these mountains should be afraid of me!" Bolin said, putting his hands on his hips in a way that he thought would be macho. Mako tried to hide his laugh, but ended up making a choking noise. Korra chucked at the both of them.

"For a couple of cool probenders, you guys are dorks."

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"Admit it. You're glad I made us take the tents." Mako immediately regretted his statement after witnessing the look Korra shot him. He was pretty sure it made his stomach drop. Bolin gave a snort after seeing his brother's face change.

"Oh yeah. I love sleeping in a cramped tent away from the rain. Water isn't really my thing anyway." Korra said, every word dripping with sarcasm. Bolin chuckled, his shoulders hitting the sides of their shelter as he laughed. Mako blushed slightly, his head awkwardly tilted into the roof of the tent.

A crack of thunder ripped through the sky, and rain began to pound even harder against the side of the tent. "You're telling me you would rather be outside in the storm than safe in here?" Mako asked, skeptical.

"I don't mind the rain."

Mako grew even more annoyed at her. Why couldn't she just admit that the tent was a good idea? "Well, it's not like anybody is stopping you from sleeping outside." Mako said, his face turning red. He was tired of fighting the girl over every single aspect of their journey.

Korra's lips thinned. She grabbed her pack. "Fine. I'd rather sleep outside in the rain than spend any more time in this tent with you." She crawled out of the tent without another word. Mako shook his head, while Bolin looked worried.

"Why are you fighting her so much?" the younger brother asked. He watched as Mako's hands clenched into fists as he breathed, the fabric from his fingerless gloves stretching over his skin.

"I'm not! She's being difficult! We have no idea where the benders are hiding out. We have nothing planned, and I'm sorry, but I don't want to get lost and hurt wandering these mountains. We have no idea what we are getting into, and we aren't prepared. I wish she would see that!"

"We'll find the camp. I know it. We will be okay. But in the meantime, I think you should lay off Korra a bit. We are going to be together for a while, and I'm already tired of hearing you two fight." Bolin said. He nudged his brother over, attempting to find a comfortable position to sleep in. The rain steadily beat against the canvas of the tent, but Bolin found the noise calming.

"I'll do my best, but I won't promise anything." Mako answered. Bolin shrugged, giving his brother one last look before closing his eyes. Mako looked towards the exit, thinking of Korra outside in the rain. He was starting to feel bad for snapping at her.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

Korra had to force her way out of the tent, it was so small, but when she finally made it into the open air, she felt any sense of claustrophobia disappear. The rain slapped against her skin, the cool water refreshing and calming. Even the echo of thunder eased her mind.

She knew she was overreacting, but she was becoming increasingly stressed about her situation. She needed Kida; she needed someone who could plan. Korra was great at jumping into things, about taking risks. She wasn't good at thinking things through, at planning. That was Kida's specialty. Without her, Korra felt a bit lost. Being around the brothers only made Korra feel worse. She wanted her family back.

Korra rested her back against the nearest tree, letting the water droplets slash onto her face. As the thunder died away, Korra was able to fall into a light sleep as the storm continued on.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"Mako, did Korra come back inside?" Bolin asked sleepily, rolling over and smacking his brother with his foot.

"No, she didn't." Mako answered. He hadn't fallen asleep, but rather watched as the wind swept against the fabric of the tent. His fingers traced the edge of his scarf, wanting his eyelids to grow heavy. He hoped sleep would come, but he knew it wouldn't.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

_Korra…. Wind howled in her ears. There was a flash of white, something glowing. Bright white eyes…_

_Wind whipped through the air, pulling Korra upwards. She felt energy coursing through her veins, and she raised her arms, poised on her toes. There was a second flash of light, a wave of fire. Korra felt as if she was holding flames in her palms. She saw mountains shoot up from the ground, monstrous waves, and a face; a man's face with grey eyes and a bright blue arrow. _

_Korra…_

Korra shot awake, her breath caught in her chest. The rain continued, and a light breeze caught her hair. She was completely drenched in water, but she didn't care. Her dream had unnerved her; everything about it felt familiar, and it scared her. Nothing in her life had ever been familiar before.

She had to do something to calm down. Slowly, she creeps away from the make shift camp, and heads towards the base of a rocky hill. Not caring where the path takes her, she slowly climbs, stumbling over the small rocks hidden in the dark.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"Bolin…" Nothing. Mako sighed, rolling over. He was starting to feel bad. Partly because he knew that he should have been nicer to Korra, but mostly because Bolin kept kicking him.

He crawled out of the tent, glad to finally be able to stretch his arms and legs. "Korra, I…" He stopped and glanced around. Korra was nowhere to be seen. He peered around trees, behind the tent, even back inside the tent, but she was gone. _Did she leave us? _

He knew the answer to that question already: No. Korra wasn't going to leave them when they needed help. He knew that. Bolin already trusted her, and Mako trusted his brother. And, he supposed, he could trust Korra. She did have good intentions.

And she was good at getting under his skin. Really good. That had to count for something.

Mako was just about to return to his tent when he saw it: movement on top of the hill next to their campsite. The hill itself was fairly steep and rocky, and he wasn't overjoyed at the prospect of climbing it in the rain, but he wanted to find Korra to make sure everything was okay. So he trudged upward, trying not to slip on the wet rocks.

When Mako reached the top of the hill, the rain had gotten stronger once again, chilling him to the bone and completely soaking him. He wasn't bothered by the rain. In fact, his attention wasn't focused on the water that was falling from the sky, but rather on the girl in front of him, moving through the rain, twirling her body in complex motions. A growing ring of water flew around her, rippling through the air. It was beautiful, watching Korra bend. Her movements were as fluid as the water she bent, but Mako noted that there was something different about her technique. Modern waterbenders used smooth motions, but there were not drawn out, and they didn't all flow together. Every twist and turn of Korra's arms and legs was graceful and languid. Mako stood, just watching her, entranced by the movement of water around her, and how the rain swirled in a ball around her body.

Korra didn't notice him immediately, but when she did, Mako regretted not announcing his presence. In the middle of a spin, Korra spotted Mako standing on the edge of the hill. Taken by surprise, she gave a swift kick through the air, and a wave of water smacked into Mako, knocking him down. Korra ran over to him, knuckles bared and ready to attack before she realized who he was.

"What are you doing?!" She shouted at him, her heart still beating against her ribs at a frenzied pace.

"I wanted to come and find you and apologize!" He yelled. He tried not to think about the way her wet hair fell around her face, now out of her hair ties. He gulped. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you."

Korra relaxed, uncurling her fist and let her water drop. "Well you did." She said simply, moving away from him and crossing her arms. "And I didn't think someone like you would know how to apologize."

He gave her a look. "You hardly know me. I don't think you have the right to assume that about me…" She scowled. "But anyway, I am sorry I've been a jerk to you today. I'm just stressed about leaving and staying safe. We don't have any semblance of a plan, and that really makes me worry." He said. Korra noticed the way his eyes glanced downward as he apologized, and how there was a slight blush creeping up his neck.

"Yeah, well I haven't exactly made your transition easier. So I'm sorry too. And sorry for attacking you when you stupidly snuck up on me."

"It's okay."

"Alright."

"Good." The two stood opposite each other, staring at the ground awkwardly, not sure how to continue the conversation.

"So, uh, the bending you were doing just then… was that traditional waterbending? I've never seen anything like it before, but it was really amazing." Mako said. He wanted to say something nice, to compliment her and show her that he wasn't a bad guy. He just didn't know how to do that.

"Yeah. I guess the traditional stuff is always what's come the most naturally to me. I mean, I still know modern techniques, but for some reason, I find the traditional stuff a lot easier." Korra shrugged. Nobody had ever commented on her technique before. Kida had learned the traditional methods too, so that was what she was accustomed to.

"Well, it was seriously cool to watch."

"Thanks."

"Yeah." The awkward silence returned.

"So… we should, uh, probably get back to the tent. I need to make sure Bolin is still asleep and all that.." Mako said.

"Yeah. I'll come back down too. Maybe I'll get some sleep this time." Korra said. Together, they made their way back down the hill to the campsite, where Bolin was still snoring away. This time, Korra decided to sleep in the tent.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"Are they benders?" A man in a crimson uniform asked his partner, a tall man with gray hair that extended to the shaggy beard around his face. They were sitting in a cavern on the side of the mountain, looking down onto the trio's campsite, watching their movements.

"Sure are. The girl looks to be pretty powerful, too." He said.

"So what do we do? Do we get them now?"

"Nah. We'll let them walk a bit longer." The older man answered, adjusting the pink earmuffs he had donned in the cold. "They look like they can take care of themselves. When they get to the pass, we'll go get them." He said, and his partner nodded. They disappeared back into the cave without another sound.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

Bolin was the first one to wake up the next morning. The rain still continued to patter against the tent, but he didn't mind. His muscles were tense from sleeping in such a confined space, and as he rolled over, he bumped into another body. He glanced over, expecting to find Mako, but got an eye full of something very different.

Mako and Korra were both asleep in the tent. Mako was pushed into the corner and was sleeping on his side, with his head resting on his extended arm. Korra was next to him, sleeping on her side as well. The small space hadn't left her much room, and it looked as if she had rolled into Mako sometime during the night. Her head rested on his arm so that their faces were inches away from each other, and their feet were tangled.

Bolin's wanted to laugh his head off, but he was worried about waking them up. While he knew that the sleeping situation was probably an accident, he knew something was going on between them. His brother was not easily riled, and this girl had been able to drive him crazy within minutes. Bolin loved it.

As quietly as he could, Bolin tried to crawl his way out of the tent. He was almost successful, but his shoulder got caught in the opening, and the entire structure gave a shake. The wet fabric from the side brushed against Mako's face, and he began to stir. His movements then disturbed Korra. Slowly, the couple opened their eyes, completely unaware of the position they were in. Blue found gold, and Bolin could have sworn he saw a small smile on each of their faces. They stared at each other for a few minutes more before their eyes widened with dawning comprehension.

"Ah!" Korra yelled, immediately scooting away from the older brother, trying to disentangle her feet from his. She sat up and glanced around. Bolin tried not to laugh when he saw that sleeping on his brother's arm had left an impression on her cheek.

"Sorry!" Mako yelled, blush creeping up his neck.

"What happened?" Korra yelled, touching her cheek.

"You fell asleep in the tent, but because we are so low on space, you rolled into Mako. No big deal." Bolin said simply, finding their reactions highly entertaining. "But I've gotta say, you guys looked pretty darn peaceful." He said. Mako glared at him. Korra blushed.

"Bolin…" Mako growled, and Bolin attempted to hide his grin out of respect.

Korra rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, "Okay, moving on… We need to get moving. I don't like the idea of us just sitting here. We are still way to close to the city."

"Okay, but we still have no idea where we are going. I don't mean to put a damper on things, but that is a big problem." Mako said.

"We'll find the camp. Other benders have found it. There must be some marker or something that we'll be able to find." Bolin said, encouraging Korra.

"Okay, that may be true, but I think it will be a bit more difficult than that. If it was easy to find, then the equalists would have found it by now." Mako said. Korra had to agree with him on that note. Her stomach knotted in worry.

"We will figure it out. We have to."

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

Asami's muscles were tensed and sore after sleeping on the ground, and most of her supplies were wet and ruined from the rain. Despite the added stress, Asami was still happier than she had been in years. She ran forward in the morning light, over the trails as fast as her feet would carry her. With every step, she was further away from her father, from the equalists, and from Amon. Had she not been worried about being overheard, she would have thrown her arms up and yelled out of sheer relief.

Still, she knew she had to find the bending camp soon. She couldn't wander in the mountains for weeks; she had nearly frozen the night before, and with the oncoming winter, the temperatures were dropping more and more each night. Her mind raced, thinking of where the camp could possibly by. She faltered in her stride, suddenly worried. She had pondered how she would get to the camp, yes, but she hadn't considered how she would actually find, let alone get into the camp. How did she know her information was correct, and furthermore, how did she know the benders would even let her join them? She wasn't a bender, and her father was high up within the Equalist movement. They had no reason to trust her. She stopped dead in her tracks, hardly breathing as the rain beat down upon her, making her wet hair cling to her skin.

No. She couldn't think like that. Hiroshi Sato was her father, but she was her own person. She had more of her mother in her, and she knew that was what truly defined her. She was strong, and she could prove her worth and her loyalty. She knew what was right.

Still, she had no idea where she was going. But too many benders had mentioned in the mountains when she would sneak into the city. There was definitely something here. She just had to find it.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"I don't think she's a bender."

"Well, it's probably a good thing you think that, considering she isn't one." The older man joked, adjusting his earmuffs.

"So what are we going to do? Lead her to us, like the other group?"

"Well, she's obviously looking for us, we don't want to disappoint her." His partner laughed.

"We could move her with the other group, minimize the risk." The younger man suggested. His leader nodded.

"Good idea!" He clapped his hands together. "Less work for us. Plus, we can make out introduction a bit more dramatic. Oh, this is exciting!" He said. His partner laughed, pulling his crimson coat tighter around himself to keep out the cold.

"I'll get an Earthbender. I'm sure we can unite the groups one way or another."

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"Korra! Slow down!" Bolin yelled, huffing and puffing behind the waterbender. She was practically sailing over the trails, surfing over the water that collected around her feet. Bolin and Mako had to trudge through the mud, often falling. Bolin had tried to bend the mud away, but had wasn't able to properly control the watered down element. His attempted resulted in Mako being completely covered in mud, much to Korra's chagrin.

"Come on! I want to be deep into the forest by nightfall. We can make it!" Korra shouted, still running forward. She had to focus on the fact that she was racing towards something, even if she wasn't sure what it was yet. She wasn't running away. She wasn't.

"Korra! We can't keep up with you in all this muck! You need to slow down!" Mako yelled back at her. Korra stopped, breathing deeply.

"Let's go, boys." She said without turning around.

"Korra, stop! We are trying to keep up with you, but we can't! Stop trying to rush this! We will get there when we get there! You need to be patient!" Mako yelled back at her. He was exhausted and angry, tired of fighting her and the mud.

Korra turned around, ready to retort when she heart it; a low rumbling from the mountains. The ground beneath her began to shake. Mako and Bolin looked at her, worry evident onto her face. Earth was sliding down the mountains towards them

"It's a landslide! We need to run!" Korra said, sprinting forward, the brothers on her tail. "Bolin, try and bend it away from us!" She shouted over her shoulder. The younger brother nodded, and turned towards the oncoming mud, punching through the air with his fists, but it was no use; the front part of the slide slowed, but a second wave crashed forward, breaking any barriers his bending had produced. A clap of thunder rocked through the sky.

Korra's heart was beating wildly against her chest as she ran. Mako caught up with her, his long legs propelling forward, while was directly behind them, his eyes wide.

"Just keep running. Come on!" As she yelled, her foot caught a root, and she stumbled. Mako was able to grab her arm before she fell, not letting go even as she steadied herself. The mud was only feet away from them; they weren't going to outrun it.

Korra was scared. She didn't know what was going to happen to them, and in this moment, when all they had to do was run forward, run away, all she could think about was not knowing what to do. Her life couldn't even flash before her eyes. She didn't know anything. She had no past, and she was kidding herself if she thought she would have a future. Nothing.

The mud tickled their legs, sweeping under them and knocking the trio down. Korra grabbed onto the brothers hands, pulling them both with her. She wasn't going to lose them. They were pushed forward in the earth towards the river at the end of the trail. Korra fought to keep her head above the mud, still not letting go of the brothers. Bolin was working on bending the earth around him, but his movements were too hindered for any great success.

The rushing water met them with glee. Korra separated herself from as much mud as possible, bending the water around her they were submerged in the river. She fought to hang on to the brothers, but each of their hands slipped out of her grasp in the current.

"No!" She cried out, breaking the surface. She opened her eyes, mud and water obscuring her vision. "Bolin! Mako!" She pulled water around her, creating a funnel that wrapped around her legs and pushed her above the water so she could see. Bolin was the first thing she spotted, his arm waving in the water. He had managed to bend a rock out of the water, and held onto it. She rushed forward, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the current.

"Where's Mako?" He yelled to her. She glanced wildly around, but she couldn't find the firebender anywhere.

"Bolin, can you bend a ledge out of the mountain?" Korra asked. Bolin nodded as she threw him towards the mountain, arms ready as he punched the earth. A slab of rock jutted out, and he landed on it, watching as Korra dove back into the water.

There was too much mud in the water for Korra to see anything more than a foot in front of her face, but that didn't slow her frantic searching, as she pulled the water around her. There was nothing for her to see except darkness. Then she saw it: a hand and a wave of black hair. She swam forward, grabbing onto the body before propelling herself out of the water once again. But something was wrong; it wasn't Mako. Korra glanced at the girl in her arms; it was a young woman, around Korra's age, her black hair completely soaked as she coughed. Korra didn't have time to ask questions, she just put the girl down on the ledge next to Bolin before cutting off her funnel and diving back into the water.

"Mako! Mako, where are you?" She yelled, swimming around. There was no response. She dove underwater again, deeper than before. Her fingertips brushed against the river bottom, touching only pebbles. She was about to go back to the surface when her eyes caught a flash of red. She swam towards the scarf, waving in the current and found Mako. His eyes were closed, and it looked like his coat was caught by a rock, Korra dove towards him, grabbing his arm and pulling. His coat ripped, but she managed to pull him free, shooting herself out of the water for a final time, and landing lightly on the ledge next to Bolin and the girl she saved.

"Mako! Korra, is he okay? Why isn't he awake?" Bolin asked, rushing forward and kneeling next to his brother. Mako's eyes were shut, and he wasn't breathing. Bolin's eyes were wide. Mud was streaking off his face, and clothes.

"Mako, wake up!" Korra yelled, pounding his chest. Nothing. Bolin pounded the earth around his brother with his fists, causing the ledge to jump slightly. The girl looked on, unsure of what to do. Korra pulled the water around her towards her hands, focusing. It wrapped around her palms and began to glow. Slowly, she placed her palms on Mako's chest. She could feel his heart beat, though it was weak.

"Please. Please." Bolin looked as if he was about to cry, his green eyes locked on his brother's face. Korra took a deep breath to steady herself. She was going to save him. Everything would be okay. She moved her hands from his chest to his face, pulling it onto her lap, before she closed her eyes.

_In, out. You can do this, Korra, _a man's voice echoed through her head. She felt a surge emotion that she couldn't place. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she started again. She focused on getting Mako to breathe again, moving the water out of his lungs. Her hands began to glow, and she could feel the water move beneath her hands. His chest began to move once again, and rising and falling. Bolin cried out next to her.

"Mako?" Korra asked. The firebender threw open his eyes, coughing. He turned and spit a mouth full of water onto the ground before falling back onto Korra's lap, his breathing shallow, but completely present. Korra laughed, relieved. "Mako! You're okay!" She said. He smiled back at her weakly.

"Looks like it." He said, his voice hoarse. Bolin crawled next to his brother, taking his hand and giving it a shake.

"If you ever almost drown again, I'll kill you." He said. Mako gave a weak smile to his brother.

"If it ever happens again, I'll let you. I'm glad you're okay, bro."

Korra smiled at the boys before turning to the new member of their party. The girl's green eyes were cautious, as if she wasn't sure what to make of the scene before her.

"Hello." Korra said. The girl gave a nod. "Who are you, and why exactly were you in the river?"

"My –– my name is Asami… I, uh, I was in the mountains on one of the trails when some rocks above me collapsed. I got caught in the rockslide and was swept into the river."

"Yes, but why were you in the mountains in the first place. Are you a bender?" Korra asked her again.

"I was looking for… something. I'm not a bender." Asami answered. She was worried about saying her true destination. Korra and her friends could have been equalists. Asami wanted to avoid that fate.

"And what were you looking for?" Korra's eyes were questioning, but they weren't distrustful. Korra didn't get an equalist vibe from Asami. There was something more to the girl that she wasn't sharing, but Korra didn't suspect that it was anything bad.

"I'm not really sure I can say." Asami said. Korra nodded.

"Are you an equalist?" Asami's face darkened, and she shook her head. Korra saw real hatred in her eyes. "Neither are we."

"Where are you going, then?" Asami asked. It was Bolin that answered this time.

"The bending camp. We couldn't stay in Republic City." He looked at the girl, smiling kindly at her. The darkness vanished from her eyes, and her posture relaxed.

"Me too."

Korra smiled at her before glancing at the boys. "Do you want to come with us?" She asked. Mako sat up, his mouth pursed.

"Korra…" His tone was warning. "How do we know she isn't lying?" He whispered Korra shot him an incredulous look before answering.

"Even half dead, you worry too much, you know that? What have we got to lose by trusting her? Nothing. That's what." She said, poking him in the chest. He looked at her like she was crazy. "I have a gut feeling we can trust her, and right now, I trust that. Okay?" She said sternly. Mako gazed at her for a moment longer before giving a small nod.

"So, Asami, are you coming with us or not?" Korra asked again. The girl looked stunned, glancing from Korra to the bending brother before answering.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Good. Bolin, want to get us off this rock?" Korra asked. Bolin nodded proudly before he slammed his foot into the ground. The ledge shot downward towards the ground, all of them still on it. Korra giggled before lightly jumping off, ready to continue on their journey.

"Okay," Bolin said, clapping his hands together, "which way?" Korra glanced around. The mudslide had destroyed most of the trail, leaving them on their own.

"Well, the river leads back to Republic City, right? I mean, that's where we get some of our water. I think we should start by walking upstream. We can see where we go from there?" Mako suggested. Korra smiled at him, glad he was finally helping them in their search for the camp.

Together, they walked up the riverbank, each waiting as Korra bend most of the water off their clothes and hair and back into the river. They knew they wouldn't get completely dry, as it was still raining, but they welcomed the small comfort.

"We may be able to get in another hour before we should stop." Asami said quietly. She was glad that she found people to wander with, but she was still hesitant with her suggestions. She needed them to trust her. Mako nodded in agreement.

"Fine." Korra said, not willing to fight with them over the issue. It had been a long day already, and they could use the rest. "So Asami, huh? You woudn't happen to be the same Asami Sato, would you?" Korra asked. Asami paled, and the brothers stopped and stared at their new acquaintance.

"Yeah…"

"You have the world on a platter in Republic City. Your dad is one of the leaders of the equalist movement. Why are you out here, looking for the benders camp? It seems kinda suspicious, don't you think?" Asami's twisted the strap on her pack, worried. She would have preferred it if people didn't know about her father. It just complicated things.

"I needed to get away. My father is… let's just say that I don't agree with my father's stance on the benders. I agree with certain aspects of the equalist movement, like fairness and equality and the like, but taking away a benders ability… that's too much. I didn't want to be a part of it, so I ran away. End of story." Asami answered calmly. Korra nodded.

"You ran away?" Bolin asked. "You ran away from your dad?"

"Yeah, I did. It's been a long time coming, really. Ever since my mom died, he hasn't been the same. He's been cold, calculating. He doesn't really feel like my dad anymore." Asami answered quietly. Mako nudged his brother, letting him know it was time to stop questioning the girl. Parents were a touchy subject.

"Can you fight?" Korra asked suddenly. People didn't generally want to run and join benders if they were pacifists.

"I can handle myself." Asami said, her voice lighting up for the first time.

The group continued on in companionable silence, exhausted after the battle with the river. Had they been more awake, they would have been aware of the figures above them, watching as they continued deeper into the mountains.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"That has to be the weakest fire I have ever seen."

"Back off! It's fine." Mako said defensively as Korra made faces at his small fire.

"Easy for you to say. You have that whole 'inner warmth' thing going to keep you warm. We have to brave it out all night in the cold."

"What are you talking about? You are the one refusing to wear a jacket!" Mako argued back. Korra rolled her eyes.

"Do they do this often?" Asami asked Bolin, watching the exchange between the couple.

"I've known Korra for a grand total of two days, and the entire time we've been traveling, she's either been arguing with Mako or saving his life. So the answer to your question would be yes." Asami's eyes widened. "Yeah, you have no idea what you are getting into."

"Oh goody."

The bickering continued, filling the night air with noise. The rain had finally subsided, although the clouds still obscured any stars from the travelers. Everyone was preparing their blankets when they heard movement behind them.

"What was that?" Korra asked, her hair whipping around as she stood up.

"No idea…" Bolin said, getting to his feet as well, peering around the trees. Asami and Mako joined them, muscles tensed and ready to fight.

"Hello…" There was a blast of air from between the trees, and everyone was thrown backwards into the camp. All around them, figures descended from the mountain, surrounding them. Some of the people held flames in their hands, while others pulled rocks from the ground. Korra rolled, pulling water around her from a bowl, but she saw that there were far too many people to fight and win. Mako and Bolin joined her, Bolin pulling his own stones with him, while Mako held a dancing flame in his gloved palm. Asami was in a defensive stance, her hands balled into fists.

"What do you want?" Korra yelled. She didn't understand why benders would be attacking them. No answer came from the group. Mako glanced around at the benders, noting their mismatched uniforms; some were dressed in the Earth Kingdom green, others were dressed in crimson coats and white pants. He recognized the colors as that of the United Forces. These were benders! They could help. He grabbed Korra's arm, giving it a shake.

"Korra, I think they are with the bending forces."

"Really? What gave you that idea? Was it the firebending or the earthbending that gave it away?" She answered dryly. Bolin let out a short chuckle.

"Alright! Good job on the surprise everybody!" A voice called out through the trees. A figure stepped forward into the light. The man was older, his wild brown hair greying to match his grey eyes. He was stockier than either of the bending brothers, but he carried himself with confidence; this was a powerful man. "So, my name's Bumi, and it is a pleasure to meet you." He said, stepping forward. Korra watched as he twirled a pair of pink earmuffs around his arm. "This is typically where you say your names. Introductions and whatnot."

"I'm Bolin, this is Korra, Mako, and Asami."

"Great! I won't remember those." Bumi said. Korra and Mako glanced at each other, confused. "We are here to be your guides to the bending village. If you don't want our help, that's fine, but I can assure you that you wont find it without us."

"You can take us to the camp?" Korra asked, hopeful.

"Sure can. However, I will need to cover your eyes for the first journey. The location is kept secret, for obvious reasons. We can't have you babbling about it to everyone you know. And considering we don't know you kids, we can't exactly have a strong trusting relationship just yet." Bumi said. Korra weighed their options; considering the choices, it took her about two seconds to agree with the proposition.

"Done!" She said, excited. Her fear of not finding the camp was beginning to disappear. Beside her, Asami struggled to contain her worry; she had found the bending camp, but she still didn't know if they would accept her.

"Excellent!" Bumi said. He gestured for his men to step forward, wrapping pieces of fabric around the teen's faces. Mako still felt uneasy as his vision was obscured, but he recognized that there were really no other options. Slowly, they were guided to the side of the mountain. Earthbenders gathered around, stomping their feet. He felt the ground beneath him begin to shake, and suddenly, there was a rush of wind through his hair; it felt like they were flying up the mountain. This continued for a while longer, as the benders propelled them over the rocky surfaces towards some unknown destination. When they finally stopped, Mako felt completely discombobulated. Korra was elated.

They were guided off the rocks over smooth ground. The air around them grew heavier, damper. Their footsteps echoed around them as if they were in a cave.

"Well, here we are." Bumi said. The fabric was removed from Korra's eyes, and she blinked finding herself in the dark staring at two large doors made out of stone. One bender stood in front of each door, moving when Bumi nodded towards them. They stomped their feet and made short, swift motions through the air with their hands. Slowly, the doors opened, allowing light to pour into the cavern.

"Everyone, welcome to the Mountain Temple, current headquarters for the bending camp."

**A/N: Okay, so I apologize for the delay. This chapter was a pain in the but to write, which is probably why there are so many mistakes, but at this point I just needed to finish it. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Thank you! **


	4. Chapter 3: Training

Chapter 3: Practice

"Well this is all kinds of awesome!" Bolin yelled as the group strode through the archway. The great stone doors had opened into a wide space, overgrown with deep green ferns that masked the ancient stone beneath them. Sunlight was visible at the end of the room, and the tops of trees could be seen over the edges of the railings opposite them. Small brooks passed on either side of the group, making the entire area feel very natural.

"This is beautiful." Asami whispered, and Korra could only nod in agreement. She was relieved that they had found what they were looking for. She had to assume that the benders had been watching their progress into the mountain–– their discovery was far too fortuitous to simply be a coincidence. Mako looked wary, watching as his brother peered excitedly at their surroundings. A large bruise was forming on the side of his face from the mudslide.

"This is the mountain temple. My father built it when he needed a break from the trials of Republic City. Little did he know that benders would use it for the same reason years later, but here they are." Bumi said casually, guiding the group forward. He looked at each new face, excited to see their reactions.

"How many benders are here?" Mako asked.

"More than I care to remember. It's mainly earthbenders here, but we have a fair amount of firebenders as well. My sister is one of the only waterbenders we've got here, and then we have my brother and his family–– ah, speaking of whom. Tenzin! Come meet our new recruits!" Bumi yelled at another man who had just entered the room, his red and yellow robes flowing lightly in the breeze. He strode forward with confidence, and everything about him seemed to radiate a feeling of lightness. Korra watched his approach with interest, distracted by his brightly colored robes. But then he got closer.

It felt like someone had squeezed all of the air out of Korra's chest; she had a hard time keeping her composure, or focusing on moving forward. Her legs felt like rubber, and she had to hold onto Mako's shoulder for support. She had seen this man before; his gray eyes and blue arrow had haunted her dreams for years.

"This is my brother, Tenzin. He's the last master airbender in the world." Bumi said. He was still enthusiastic, but there was another emotion evident in his voice that was difficult to place. Tenzin strode forward, his face serious as he greeted the newcomers.

"Hello, Bumi." Tenzin said. His deep voice sounded resigned and tired, but he still offered the teens a smile. Mako glanced at Korra, confused as to why she was leaning on him. Not that he minded, if he was honest with himself. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and glad Bolin wasn't looking in his direction. He felt his face heat up.

"Welcome and hello to you four. I am Tenzin, and like my brother said, I am the last master airbender in the world."

"I know who you are! You were the councilman for the airbenders! Son of Avatar Aang! And that makes you," Bolin said, pointing at Bumi, "Commander Bumi of the United Forces, eldest son of Avatar Aang!" Bolin finished excitedly. He looked at the siblings, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "This is SO COOL!" Bumi chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess we are pretty great, huh Tenzin." He said, elbowing his brother. Tenzin shot Bumi an exasperated look.

"As you can see, my brother upholds the family's modesty. Anyway, let's get on with it; so I presume you are all benders?" Tenzin asked.

"Well, you're mostly right in assuming that." Bolin answered. Asami paled, and moved to stand behind the younger brother, worried about Tenzin's reaction.

"Really? Well that's perfectly all right. We have many people here that are not benders themselves, but they do oppose the equalist movement. We do the best we can to accommodate their needs as well." Tenzin said kindly. Asami took a steadying breath before stepping forward.

"Master Tenzin, my name is Asami Sato. My father is Hiroshi Sato, and before we continue, I want to make it perfectly clear that his loyalties do not determine my own." She said, her voice surprisingly strong. Tenzin watched her speak with patience, and offered her a kind smile when she finished.

"Miss Sato, I can truly say it is an honor to have you with us. This probably wasn't the easiest decision for you to make, and I am sorry to say that others will make your stay here difficult, but we are lucky to have you fight on our side." He finished. Asami's released a breath, pleased. Her heart swelled with happiness.

"Thank you so much." Tenzin nodded at her before turning to the other three.

"Now, I can assume that you are benders? What are your names and elements?"

"Well, I'm Bolin, and I'm an earthbender." Bolin answered proudly. Korra tightened her hold on Mako, still not taking her eyes off of the airbender. She was so confused.

"And I'm his brother. My name is Mako, and I'm a firebender." He placed a hand on Korra's arm, letting her know it was her turn.

Korra took a deep breath, trying to find her voice, but nothing came from her mouth. Tenzin watched her patiently.

"And what is your name?" He asked again. Korra just stared back. Bolin and Mako glanced at each other, not knowing what to do. They had never seen Korra at a loss for words. Her hand clenched onto Mako's arm even tighter, and she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Mako's brow furrowed in confusion.

_Korra._ The voice echoed in her head again, the same voice that she had heard over and over again in her dreams. A voice that sounded very different from Tenzin's. She took another breath before continuing, "I'm sorry, but have we met before?" She blurted out. Tenzin looked confused staring between the swaying girl and his brother.

"I don't believe so, I'm sorry. I would be able to give you a more definite answer if I knew your name and element, however…" He said.

"I'm Korra. I'm a waterbender."

"You're a waterbender? Really? That's wonderful!" Tenzin said, looking truly excited for the first time. However he quickly regained his composure. "And I'm sorry, but I've never met a Korra from the water tribe before. But I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Korra." He said, giving her a small bow. Korra did the same, now able to steady herself a bit more. She eased her grip on Mako's arm, giving him a small glance. He stared back at her, gold meeting blue, giving her a small smile.

"Well, now that our introductions are out of the way, I think it is time for a grand tour of the grounds, don't you, Bumi?" Tenzin asked his brother.

"Ah, well I actually have to be in the main hall in a few minutes for a meeting with General Iroh, so it looks like you will have to play tour guide again for me. See ya later!" He slowed in front of the teens, whispering to them, "don't ask him about the staircase unless you want the ears talked off of your heads. I'll check in with you later for training." Bumi said, clapping Bolin on the back as he left the hall.

"Well, let's go. I'll give you a quick overview before showing you where you will be staying." Tenzin said. As he turned, his robes flew with the breeze, and a gust of air blew against the group, spraying their hair out behind them. Korra laughed, finally feeling like herself again.

Asami and Bolin followed Tenzin, immediately behind him, but Mako pulled Korra back, grabbing her arm. "Hey, are you okay? You looked pretty upset a few minutes ago." He asked, his golden eyes worried. Korra nodded.

"Yeah… I think it was just nerves or something. Everything's fine." She said. She watched his face change, saw the way his golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly. _Gorgeous gold eyes…_ she thought. _What… No. NO. Stop. _She looked away from him, trying to hide the blush that she was sure decorated her cheeks. "Let's go, come on!" She said, walking past him after the rest of the group. Mako stared after her at a complete loss for what to do.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

The temple was big and beautiful. There were many times when Korra would simply stop and stare, mouth agape as she took in the scene before her. The temple was build out of the side of the mountain, the stone jutting out into walls, decorated with spirals that represented the four elements. The roof of the temple was a deep green, and vines trailed over the top of it, sweeping over the sides and drifting against the windows in the breeze.

Groupings of tents decorated the grounds; it was easy to see which benders occupied certain camps. Two tents were placed next to the pond for the waterbenders; blocks of earth jutted out, marking the earthbender's camp. Firebenders had placed their home almost immediately in the middle of the grounds, where they would surely get the most direct sunlight.

On the opposite side of the pond was a large stone clearing, and as the group continued, they watched benders spar with each other. Bursts of light decorated the scene as two firebenders fought, ripping and twirling through the air with more grace than Korra felt she could ever muster. A flock of people watched their progress.

"My father wanted a place where he could escape. He wanted a place that would balance all the elements, so that his friends would also feel welcome to visit. Lucky for us, this proved to be the perfect spot to escape to when the Equalists began their raids."

"How did so many people find you here?" Asami asked, still shocked at the sheer number of tents. She knew people were fleeing the city, but seeing so many benders together in one place was ridiculous.

"Well, Bumi has a platoon out, searching the mountains for benders that fled the city. However, it's getting a bit more difficult to determine who are the equalists and who are the escaping benders. We cannot risk an equalist finding us here. Before I left the city, I was sure to erase all evidence of this temple from the archives. Nobody can find us here unless we want them to." Tenzin explained.

Mako tugged on his scarf, feeling awkward addressing the son of the previous Avatar. "Is there nothing that can be done to fight them?" He asked. Tenzin's face fell for a brief moment, and something in Korra's heart ached.

"I'm afraid that's difficult at this point. Benders are being chased out of the city in hordes, and those that don't make it out have their abilities taken from them. As you can imagine, moral is low. We may have been able to fight early on in the movement, but now, we just don't have the power."

Asami listened to his words with interest. She had, of course, heard similar reports from her listening post next to her father's study. The Equalists had been very thorough in their raids, but she could still recall Amon's fury when he learned that he lost the airbending family in the mountains. She remembered another topic that had occupied her father's conversations with the masked man for months.

"Tenzin, what about the Avatar?" she asked suddenly. Bolin nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! What about them? Is there any news on where they are? Or who they are? Or anything?" He asked Tenzin, his green eyes growing wider and more excited at the mention of the Avatar.

Tenzin stroked his beard with his hand, his eyes narrowing as he regarded the teens before him. Once again, his grey eyes clouded with something Korra recognized. Sadness. "We cannot expect the Avatar to come to our rescue. We believe that somehow, the cycle may have been broken. The Avatar was meant to be a waterbender, but no child was discovered."

_Don't give up so easily. _Korra turned, goosebumps rising on the back of her neck as the words flitted through her ears. The voice was so close, like they were standing right behind her. Mako watched her, noticing her confusion and shooting her a look when their eyes met. She roller her eyes at him and turned back to Tenzin.

"Now, I've got to meet with the General and Bumi. If you want, you can go compete in some training exercises at the arena behind the riverbank. We also have a few extra supplies for a campsite for you, as I assume you won't want to be separated."

"We would appreciate that, sir. Thank you." Mako said. Tenzin gave a small nod and turned on his heel, his red and gold robes flicking behind him in the breeze. Korra watched him go, a sense of peace rushing through her, followed by a burst of adrenaline. She glanced across the pond, watching the bursts of fire once again, and a wicked grin crept across her face.

"So, guys, what do you say about a little practice?" And without another word, she took off at a sprint towards the arena, quickly followed by the bending brothers and a curious Asami.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

There were about fifty benders scattered around the arena, some of them stretching and practicing their movements, others engaged in full battles with their companions, sending jets of flame and bits of rock through the air. Of all the benders, Korra could only locate one waterbender, an elderly woman who twirled a whip of water around a group of children, making them giggle as flecks of sunlight reflected off the water and onto their faces.

Confidently, Korra strode forward, hands on her hips and a devilish grin on her face, "So who do I have to talk to so I can get a real challenge around here?" Behind her, her friends eyes widened in shock, not believing that Korra had just challenged a group of strangers to a fight.

From within a group of firebenders, Korra heard a chuckle. Slowly, the mob parted, and a tall, well-muscled man strode forward, cracking his knuckles menacingly. "I wouldn't be so quick to challenge us, little girl. You have no idea what we are capable of." When he reached Korra, he towered over her. Without realizing it, Mako and Bolin took a step back.

"Well, why don't you let me find out? I'm in need of some bending practice anyway, and you look like you'd be a good warm-up." She said, still grinning. She imagined what Kida would say if she were here, which only made her want to laugh. Korra, being reckless. Again.

"Korra, what are you _doing?_" Mako hissed behind her. Sure, Tenzin had told them to go practice, but he didn't think he meant for her to go challenge one of the largest firebenders to a fight.

Korra turned towards her friends, giving them a self-satisfied smirk before returning her attention to the man in front of her. "So can we spar, or what?" The man laughed, but he nodded.

"I'll go easy on you, how's that." He said. Korra shrugged, before easing into a beginning stance, waiting for her partner. "So what's your element? Earth or fire?"

"Neither." Without another word, she gave a quick spin, widening her fingers and loosening her arms as she turned. A spout of water jumped out of the pond, dancing towards her and wrapping around her legs, growing larger and larger. Her opponent's eyes widened in shock, and Korra used the opportunity to send a ribbon of water around his legs, knocking him off his feet.

"You might want to re-think going easy on me." She said, pleased with herself. The man growled, punching the ground in annoyance.

"Fine by me." He said, standing again. He pushed himself back to his feet and clapped his hands together, releasing a wide burst of flame that raced towards her. She could feel the heat from the blast on her face, but wasn't perturbed in the slightest. She sprang forward, swinging the sheet of water in front of her and letting out a breath that turned it to a wall of ice. With a sizzle, the fire met the ice wall and melted it, leaving Korra completely undamaged. The firebender growled again.

Korra pulled the water around her once again, this time bringing some of the water to wrap around her hands. She charged forwards, pulling the water behind her in a growing wave towards the firebender. He let out jet of flame towards her, forcing her to change her course. Korra spun a trail of water around him, racing beneath his feet and trailing up his legs. He shouted, and tried to melt the water back to ice, but Korra was faster.

As he tried to send another burst of flame at her, she threw an orb of water at his arm and captured his hand, keeping it locked in the liquid. "No!" He shouted, attempting to break the water with his other hand, but a second orb of water stopped him, effectively trapping his arms. Korra's wave carried her around the firebender, and with a graceful wave, a tower of water swirled around the man, keeping him locked in ice.

"Well, I think that was a good warm up, don't you guys think?" Korra landed in front of her friends, hardly even winded. Bolin's jaw dropped, and Mako was speechless. They had assumed Korra was powerful, but that was unnerving.

"Let me out of here!" The firebender shouted. Korra let out a sigh before melting the water, and he landed with a moist thump on the ground. He looked furious. "Who are you?" He yelled, his eyes burning with anger. A crowd had gathered around them to watch the fight.

"My name's Korra. And I'm ready for a bit more practice, if anyone is up to the challenge."

"I'll take you up on that."


	5. Chapter 4: Wind Chimes

**A/N: Hello! Sorry this has been so late, but I've encountered major writer's block when writing this story, but I think I have it figured out, for the most part. I think. Maybe. Sorta. (Probably not)**

**And remember: I own nothing here. I'm just making stuff up, but the characters do not belong to me. **

**Chapter 4: Wind Chimes**

"I'll take you up on that." Korra turned to see who had challenged her. A man clad in the red uniform of the United Forces strode forward. He towered over Korra, and as he rolled back the sleeves of his uniform in preparation for the fight, Korra could see that he was strong. Though his stature in itself was intimidating, his face was not. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, his face still fresh and open. Though his features were sharp and angular, there was a kindness present. His hair, which was cleanly styled back from his face, was dark and had a slight wave to it, and his gold eyes –– which she assumed marked him as a Firebender –– were warmer than she expected them to be.

"And who, may I ask, are you?" Korra asked, striding forward.

"I'm General Iroh, of the United Forces, and I believe I'm your next challenger." He said, relaxing into a casual smile when they were face to face. Korra could sense Mako and Bolin tense up behind her.

"Great! You might give me an actual fight!" She said, teasing back. Iroh smiled at her.

"Well, I was thinking we may be able to make it more of a challenge, if that's all right with you. We've seen a bit of what you can do, but what about your companions?" He said, gesturing towards Bolin and Mako. "I'd like to see how you handle yourself under pressure from other benders, so I'd like them to fight with me."

Korra grinned back at him, excited by his proposal. A crowd was gathering around the benders, curious about the activity, and Korra was eating up the attention. Finally, she had a chance to prove that she could fight, and fight well. She could prove that she could be an invaluable asset to the team. Plus, she got to fight a general and two pro-benders. That was always a plus. She nodded vigorously before settling into a preliminary stance, readying herself for the attack.

But as Bolin and Mako moved to flank Iroh, Korra stopped and glanced behind her towards Asami. True, Korra wanted to prove herself to the rest of the group, but she didn't really _need _to. Asami, on the other hand, had been dying for a chance to prove herself. And though Korra didn't know anything about the girl's abilities, she had an overwhelming desire to trust her and see what she could do.

It was this thought process that prompted her next words, "Sure, but Asami's gonna be fighting on my side, if that's all right with you." Though it was phrased as a question, Iroh recognized that this was a statement of fact, so he nodded in agreement.

Asami strode forward to stand beside Korra, stretching her back and arms as she joined her friend, a snarky smile on her face as she faced the boys. Bolin grinned back at the girls, excited, Mako had the characteristic scowl on his face as his brows furrowed in concentration, and Iroh simply looked amused.

"Ready…Go!" A voice shouted from the crowd, and the group sprang into action, blasts of fire raging towards Korra and Asami as they darted out of the way.

As the fighting progressed, one thing was immediate; Asami could definitely handle herself on the battlefield. She dodged each attack with grace and ease, stunning all three men as she maneuvered her way towards them, hardly even breaking a sweat. She must have been trained in some kind of acrobatics, as she was able to throw her body around with incredible control.

Unlike her first battle with the firebender, Korra stalled with her attacks, watching the way Mako, Bolin, and Iroh attacked. It was immediately evident that Mako and Bolin were accustomed to modern fighting techniques; Bolin fought like he was in an arena, sending bits of rock hurtling towards the girls, while Make would send short bursts of flame after them, trying to knock them off balance. Iroh, on the other hand, was had been trained using traditional fighting techniques. His attacks were stronger, and though they were slower than the bending brothers, there appeared to be a pattern to his bending. All of his movements were executed precisely and with purpose, so there was no wasted energy, and it forced Korra and Asami to think quickly and effectively.

Ready to move on the offensive, Korra pulled a large ribbon of water around her, snaking it through the air as she fought to dodge Mako's fire. Waiting for a moment between attacks, Korra snaked the water around his feet, throwing him into the air with a wave of her hands.

Mako crashed to the ground, rolling out of Iroh's way as he charged forward, leaping into the air and slamming his hands together, producing a wave of fire that raced after Korra. Korra rolled out of the line of fire and pushed herself back upright, pulling water around her body in a way that resembled tentacles. As Iroh was giving a kick towards the girl, she pushed a ribbon of water outward and grabbed onto his leg, knocking him off of his feet.

Behind Korra, Asami leapt from boulder to boulder as Bolin continued to bombard her. As she raced toward him, Bolin stomped his foot, causing a rock to jut out from the earth and spring him into the air. But just as he was thrown up, Asami somersaulted towards him, her heel catching his ankle in the process. Bolin lost his momentum and fell forward, barely managing to soften his fall by turning the stone into sand as he landed. He rolled away from the sand, slamming his fist into the ground and causing it to reform as stone once again before he stood up, breathing heavily.

Iroh turned his attention towards Asami, slowing his attacks so he could watch her race around Bolin, slowly edging her way closer and closer while trying to dodge his attacks. He widened his stance, taking a deep breath before slamming his hands together once again, letting out a long line of flame that stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned to look at the fire's source, her dark hair blowing around her face as her eyes met Iroh's. She gave him a quick smile and hand wave before leaping back and hurtling herself over the flames towards Bolin. He watched as she cleared the flames easily, landing neatly besides Bolin, who stumbled backwards, caught off guard by her appearance. He made a stomping motion with his feet, and the ground beneath Asami's feet sprung upward. Asami had almost been clear of the attack but one final stone shot out of the earth, lifting her off the ground and throwing her towards the trees. She skidded across the floor, only stopping when she collided with a tree. Bolin raced over to her.

His distraction ended immediately when a bubble of water smacked into his face, startling him. From about twenty feet away, Korra raced towards Mako, pulling a wave of water around her as she charged. Mako had stumbled on one of Bolin's discarded rocks, and he lost his momentum trying to regain his balance, leaving him wide open to one of Korra's attacks. Knowing that he needed to end the battle quickly, as the entire group was wearing down, he gave a swift kick through the air followed by a punch that send a large burst of flame dancing towards Korra. Just as she reached Mako, the flames collided into her wall of water, causing her to loose her footing in surprise and collide into the other firebender, knocking the duo off their feet and onto the floor.

"Ow…" Korra said. On impact with, the wind had been knocked out of her lungs, and she was seeing stars whenever she closed her eyes.

"I can't breathe." Korra heard a strained voice beneath her and threw her eyes open, mortified to find that she was laying on top of Mako, her head resting on his chest. She also noted that he had an arm wrapped around her, as if he had grabbed onto her when they fell. She threw herself off the firebender, rolling back onto her feet and swaying. Mako still looked to be in a state of shock.

"I'd say that's all we have time for, Korra." Iroh said, trying to control his breathing. The fight had been challenging, and Korra proved to be a much greater fighter than he realized. The same could also have been said for Bolin and Mako, although their pro-bending fighting style could have been improved with traditional moves as well. His gaze settled on Asami, who limped towards the group with a proud smile on her face, Bolin helping her walk towards them.

"That was great!" She said, breathing heavily. Bolin looked incredibly guilty, watching Asami like a hawk.

"You took quite a hit there. Are you all right?" He asked, giving her a quick once over to check for blood. Immediately, he noticed a small cut below her eye that was letting out a small stream, as well as a more sizeable cut on her calf. Despite the injuries, she seemed completely at ease.

"Oh, I'm fine. I've had much worse than this." She leaned into Bolin, giving him a playful nudge, "So Bolin, you can stop worrying." Bolin gave her a small smile, but he didn't look any more at ease.

"Well, at least let me help you go to the infirmary. Kya, our master waterbender, can help with those cuts." He said, holding his arm out to her.

Asami smiled back warmly at him, but she shook her head. "Actually, I don't need the fuss over this," she gestured to her face and leg, "Korra can actually heal these for me, if she doesn't mind." He glanced at Korra, who was still rolling away from Mako, who looked to be in a catatonic state, and laughed.

"Well, okay then. It was a pleasure to meet you all." He said, nodding towards the group, and spared one last glance towards Asami, feeling a small smile make its way into his face as he left them.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

"Okay, I'm more than a little exhausted." Korra said, crashing down into the blankets inside their tent.

"Yeah, go figure. It's not like you fought a giant and a general today." Mako said, collapsing next to her. After they had collided, he had trouble breathing, which had given him a decidedly annoying headache. After Korra healed Asami's cuts, she was able to give his chest a once over, quickly determining that he had bruised a few ribs. She healed him, but he was still exhausted and sore.

"All in a day's work, my friend." She said, giving him a smack on the arm. Bolin sat beside her, stuffing apples and grapes into his mouth, while Asami sat beside him, content in her silence.

Bolin swallowed and spoke, "You know, your bending out there was pretty crazy. You almost beat the general of the United Forces. I don't think that's something you can just write off as an everyday occurrence, Korra." Korra laughed, stretching out.

After the fights, the group had found a greater sense of camaraderie with each other. Any stress that Korra had accumulated during their trip to camp had all but evaporated after her fights. Mako was still feeling indebted to Korra after she saved his life, so he was attempting to maintain civility with her, although he wasn't finding it to be as much of a challenge as he expected. Bolin was fretting over Asami, still feeling guilty about throwing her into a tree, and tried to make up for it by telling jokes, which sent them all laughing until their sides hurt. And finally, Asami was feeling much better after the fight. She had been able to prove her skills, and she managed to make an impression not only on her friends, but on a powerful bender and leader of the bending force.

"You know, this really isn't so bad." Korra said, sitting up, despite her protesting muscles.

"Of course it's not bad. We aren't being chased by equalists everywhere we go." Mako replied back, sitting up to look at Korra.

"Not that, you moron. I'm just saying, this," she gestured around at the tent, which they all knew meant the bender's camp, "This is good. Being here. Proving that we can help. It feels right."

"It does." Asami said.

"I'm just glad that we brought the tent." Mako said. Korra smacked his arm, hard, causing him to shoot her an annoyed expression. Bolin snorted into his food.

**XXXXxxxxXXXX**

The sun was just setting behind the mountains and the air had chilled considerably since the afternoon. A slight breeze whipped through the trees, bringing the scent of pine needles through the camp.

Korra left the tent, her muscles stiff and sore after her nap. Mako and Bolin were still inside, but Asami was outside, trying to stretch out the kinks in her shoulder, which she twisted during the fight.

"I'm going for a walk around." Asami nodded.

"I'll tell the boys if they wake up."

Korra started off towards the temple, curious about the building itself. During their tour, Tenzin had given an abbreviated tour of the compound, showing them the staircase to one of the meditation grounds and the various hideouts within the mountains, but he hadn't been able to reach the temple before he had to leave for his meeting with the other bending leaders.

Glancing around, Korra ran up the steps to the temple, cringing as the old red wood creaked beneath her feet with each step. Bumi hadn't been kidding when he said the place was old.

The temple was beautiful, first and foremost. The walls looked to be made out of granite and river rock, and the floors were a red wood, matched by red pillars that decorated the hallway. Ivy had curled over almost every surface, giving the entire area a very natural and calming air. Slowly, Korra made her way through the hallways, peering inside open doorways. In some of the rooms, tables stood with maps and papers littered about, while others were completely empty, save for spare furniture or decorations.

At the very end of the hallway, just as Korra was about to turn away and go explore another area of the compound, she heard it. Something sounded like music, light and delicate, floated to Korra on the wind.

_Korra…_ She spun around, feeling as if someone was immediately behind her. But nothing. It was that voice, that same voice that had always followed her. She shook her head, hoping to settle her mind. The music filtered back through the air, and she decided to follow it. She turned back down the hallway listening for the source.

As she continued, she realized the music was more of a clinking, like something hitting together. She reached the opposite end of the hall, where a large door stood, red and imposing before her. Checking to make sure nobody was watching her, Korra pushed the door open and slipped inside.

The room behind the door was small, almost half the size of the other rooms that Korra had seen before. She knew that it wasn't meant for a living or sleeping room, as those areas were reserved for Tenzin's family on the higher levels of the temple. No, this room was different, and Korra absolutely loved it.

At the opposite end of the room were two large glass doors, strands of light filtering through the material, casting an array of shadows on the threadbare carpet. The clinking continued just behind the doors, and Korra began to realize what the noise was. She strode forward, throwing open the doors and gasping at the sight that lay before her.

She knew that the temple was situation on the cliff face, but for some reason that information never really seemed to register to her. But there she was, gasping out over a cliff face, looking down over a valley. In the distance, she could see the light from the sunset reflecting over the ocean.

"Yeah, I'd say Aang knew what he was doing when he decided on this place." She whispered, a smile making its way onto her lips. The clinking continued next to her, and she glanced at the small wind chime that danced in the wind. The sound was beautiful. It was made of sea glass, from what she could tell. Red, blue and green sea glass caught the remaining light and glittered, catching like fire in her eyes.

"Dad loved making those." Korra spun, a gasp of surprise escaping her lips. A woman rested against the doorframe, watching Korra calmly. Her hair was deep brown, but there were scatterings of white laced through the dreadlocks. Her dark skin and deep blue eyes, coupled with her traditional water tribe clothes told Korra that she was probably a waterbender, and, judging by her age, she was Tenzin's older sister, Kya.

"I probably shouldn't be here." Korra said, already moving away from the window.

"Nah. It's not like anybody is using the room. And wandering around is good for the soul." She laughed, walking to join Korra on the balcony.

"So you're Kya, right?"

"Right. And you're probably Korra, our new waterbender?" Korra nodded. "Good! I'm glad for the company. Apart from the airbenders, we seem to be in the minority here."

"I've noticed." Korra glanced back at the wind chime, listening to its music. "So why did your dad like making these so much?"

"Well, he couldn't quite cut it in the jewelry business, and being the Avatar kinda took up some of his free time, so he decided that he needed another hobby, and he stumbled upon these. All the colors represent the elements: water is blue, green is earth, and the fire is red. The air causes the movement and brings everything together, causing it to make the twinkling noise. I used to fall asleep to these when I was little." She said, trailing off as if lost in thought.

Korra stared at Kya, unable to shake the feeling that she knew her from somewhere. All of the Déjà vu stuff was getting annoying.

"Anyway, why are you here, Korra?" Kya asked. Korra knew she didn't mean the room.

"I… I want to help. My sister, well, my guardian, Kida, was kidnapped by the equalists while we were working at the hospital, and she sacrificed herself to save me. I had always told her I could help the equalists, and I figured this was the best way to do it."

"Interesting… Well, Miss Korra, it was a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure I'll see you again very shortly." Kya said, giving Korra a warm smile before she turned to leave. "Oh, and a final piece of advice. In war, things aren't always just black and white. Just something to remember!"

Korra stared after her, confused. The sky was beginning to darken, and following Kya's cue, she turned too turned to leave, ready to head back to her friends.

**PS, sorry again for the delay. I'm hoping to get these chapters out with a bit more frequency, but hey, who really knows. The next one should be up within the next week. **

**P.P.S. Reviews are always appreciated. As is constructive criticism. Gracias. **


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